One Step At A Time
by BrownEyedHoneybadger
Summary: The first Olympics on Mobius are being held in Station Square. After releasing her feelings for Sonic, Amy wants to prove herself in the upcoming events. Her competition want more then a gold medal though and soon enough, Amy finds herself caught up in dangerous events. COMPLETE. Amy/Sonic Amy/Shadow Amy/Silver. Cover made by Croco'Sush
1. Chapter 1: Catch up

**One Step at a Time**

"_**Hurry up . . . and wait . . ."**_

**Chapter One: Catch Up**

It was a lovely summer morning indeed. Ripe with life, the season was beginning splendidly. All traces of winter had now evaporated in the summer's stunning entrance. All across the city, everyone who was awake was enjoying the first spectacular morning they've had since last year.

In a small yet homely neighbourhood, a little pink and white house was visible among the many houses in the vicinity. The grass was already green and the flowers tall with growth. At an open window, summer was already spreading the news of its arrival.

The sun was shining through the curtains and the dust bathed in yellow and orange rays. Asleep, and peacefully at that, was non other than Amy Rose, snuggled deeply in her petite cosy bed. A few birds chirped at her open window and she stirred a bit in her sleep, turning slightly in the tangled duvet of her bed.

"Chirp."

"Mmm..."

"Chirp, chirp."

"Mmm-Mmm..."

"Chirp, chirp, chirp."

"Ugh . . . five more minutes."

"CHIRP!"

"AAAAGH!"

With a sudden sense that told her the world was coming to an end, Amy rolled over her mattress, until she finally met the end and fell to the floor with a thud and a strangled cry. Over at the window, the bewildered girl heard a chirp-like snigger and her half-closed eyes fell on the bird. The bird flew away instantly, wings flapping with a slight cockish air.

Amy pushed herself up slowly, still shaken from the fall and still feeling morning laziness. She walked over to the window and inhaled the warm new season's air. Ruffling her tangled hair with her hands, Amy couldn't help but smile at the sun.

The beginning of a new season felt like a new page in the book of her life. Her pencil felt sharpened and her hand was ready. Almost feeling like standing by her window and witness the rest of summer right there, Amy turned around and skipped merrily to the bathroom across her room.

"Shower time." Entering the small bathroom, Amy walked over to her mirror and examined her appearance. Her hair was the same length it had always been, although still wild fro a night's peaceful sleep. Her eyes dropped to her face and she couldn't help but spot a difference. Amy felt older, maybe even a bit taller. Her body was steadily growing in her teenage years, and nicely at that.

Her thoughts drifted after leaving the mirror and mundanely undressing, carelessly scattering her T-shirt and boxers across the tiled floor.

After entering the shower, the hedgehog's mind drifted towards her friends and whether she'd be seeing them today. Her day's usual schedule mostly consisted of hanging out with her best friend, Cream. But as the new season begins, there's no telling what had changed . . . or _could_ change for that matter. Amy silently smiled under the running warm and steaming water. There was thing on her mind that specifically gave her the hope that something was going to change.

With the thought, a blue hero couldn't help but get stuck I her memory. With a striking pose and the same familiar arrogant yet charming smile on his face, the picture made Amy smile only wider.

Slowly getting dressed after a refreshing wash of her body, the sun started to spread more and more through the tiny yet comfortable house, and the corners heated up more and more. She dressed in her normal attire, the same pink dress and shoes.

After sliding back her clean and shimmering quills, Amy slid in her usual headband, still smiling broadly. Today just felt like it was going to be a great day.

With her mind full of cheerful thoughts, Amy fixed herself a big breakfast. Toast, eggs, bacon and a nice strong cup of coffee hit the spot really nicely, and after a rewarding breakfast, Amy skipped out of her house and into the summer morning.

Almost in a hurry to enjoy the fresh season, she practically danced down the path leading to her garden gate. Her mood couldn't be better and for a fleeting effect to it all, Amy began to sing softly to herself.

The song was one she had heard only recently, and she favoured it out as the perfect song to complement the summer. The harp that played in the background now invaded her memory and the tune started to get really catchy.

Continuing down the street, Amy felt happier than ever.

Before she even could get to the chorus, something blue and blurry shot past her. It was so high-speed in fact, the wind he blew back in his incredible speed threw Amy back with a surprising force, and she landed on the hard pavement with an 'oomf!'

She sat up slowly, rubbing her back of a lot of stray stones that had stick into it. In front of her, stood no other than the stealer of her heart. The person she had promised she was going to spend the rest of her life with. The hedgehog she constantly tried to win over.

"Amy, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

It was Sonic. Her hero. Her love. Her future boyfriend!

Amy assessed the current situation for a moment. He had knocked her down, not intentionally, but she still did fall because of him. She could either stay mad at him . . . or use this as an opportunity. She mentally grinned and quickly started to think of an idea to spin a date out of him.

But after a moment of thinking, Amy couldn't help but feel a motion of dread stray over her heart. Almost as if something had cut it open, causing blood to flow up into her head. And almost as if the 'blood' had caused it, Amy couldn't help but think a thought she'd never dreamed she'd say in her own mind.

'_What was the point?'_

With a suffocating heart, Amy's eyes grew wider and her head pulsed slightly. Her cheery mood had dropped lower than she expected, and she almost felt like crying.

'_Why did I do this?'_

Indeed, why did she yearn for this young hero's love so much? And why did he keep turning her down? Was it time to stop? Was it time to turn away and give up?

Was it time ti give up on Sonic the Hedgehog?

Still sitting on the ground after the fall, Amy slowly became aware of her surroundings. She had been silent for a while now, and Sonic was already holding out a hand for her to take. He glanced at her worriedly when she didn't react to the motion.

"I'm fine, don't bother," she muttered, ignoring his outstretched hand. It fell to his side with a curious and puzzled expression.

She didn't have the emotional strength to use this to her advantage. The past few weeks had been tiring enough, and Amy simply didn't feel like talking to him right now. She had to get away from him; otherwise she feared she might break down in front of him.

After months of chasing, Amy couldn't believe that on the day and also at the moment she least expected it, she got over someone she had practically dedicated her soul to. Always on his tail, but never seeming to catch up, it was clear where this 'relationship' was going.

He always seemed to run away from her . . . always seemed to be faster. She could never catch up. He was _Sonic_; faster than the speed of sound. _Of course_ she could never catch up.

She stood up slowly and dusted herself off; still feeling Sonic's concerned eyes on her. Amy looked up at him and put up a fake and painful smile.

"I'm fine Sonic. Don't worry," she assured him and he gave a small grin. Usually, this grin would make her almost swoon at his feet, but right now, it wanted to force tears on her.

"That's good. Again, I'm _really_ sorry," he apologised once more.

Amy merely shrugged, too scared to talk due to the lump forming in her throat.

"Where are you headed?" he asked and they fell into step next to each other. Amy wanted to turn around and leave, but her feet couldn't follow the order her brain was giving.

"Cream's, I guess," she said, shrugging a bit again. She had no idea where she got her voice from, but her only concern was getting away from Sonic as fast as possible.

"Oh, I was going to get a chilly dog. You wanna come with me?"

'_Oh, sure. Ask me to do something with you the moment I get over you.'_

"It's on me!"

'_You mean, "Sorry I screwed up your summer, Amy."'_

"It's a great day, isn't it?"

'_Why don't you just break out in song and do a dance number?'_

"Hey, uh, Amy? Are you sure you're alright? Why are you so quiet?"

'_Oh, it's nothing. You just broke my heart without knowing it.'_

Amy never dreamed she would get over Sonic today. She had also never thought so sourly about him, and she almost resisted the urge to cry again. He merely stared from beside her, still waiting for any response. She stopped in her tracks and halted with her.

"I have to go," said Amy, turning around slowly, a glum look creeping on her face once her back was turned to Sonic. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Starting at a slow pace, Amy felt an unfamiliar pain stroke her heart with each step, her eyes finally closing with misery. The tears came at once, without any sound or motion. Only fast falling and streaming tears, staining her cheeks and also, with an unethical manner, her broken heart as well.

'_Well, I did not see this coming.'_

The pieces of her heart told her otherwise.

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Sonic stared down the street after the pink hedgehog, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Either he was really daft, or there was something seriously wrong. He'd always known her to never turn him down, even if he only asked for a tissue, she would go to the ends of the universe to find the best one suitable for his nose.

She was acting so strange, with the silent air he'd never thought she possessed. Plus, he'd always been the one to ditch _her_. Sonic shook his head. Maybe he was being silly. Maybe she was just in a hurry to get to Cream.

Or maybe she hit her head when he accidentally knocked her down.

He didn't know what, but the moment she stood up, something changed in her. He saw it. Like something colourless had slithered up into her face, and blanked her emotions.

He was worried fro her, even if he saw her as a pest, she was still his friend and they had been through a few things together. The fact that he had pushed her over by the force of his speed, made him worry a bit. What if she was angry? After all, he was only in a rush to tell Tails the news about-

Jerking up suddenly, he remembered why he was in such a hurry in the first place.

He disappeared in a blue blur down the street.

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Amy's head hung low as she turned into the path that led to Cream's house. Her cheeks were still roughly stained with tears and she had finally begun to shake at the shoulders. The shock had finally caught up with her brain.

After remote walking, Amy finally looked up and found herself in Cream's resident street. She spotted the attractive white house at once, and after a small painful sigh, stalked forward in a determined and forcing manner.

Ultimately reaching the door, she lifted her hand hesitantly, her knuckles shaking very faintly.

She didn't know if Cream had the maturity to understand her emotions or her dilemma. Sure, she was her best friend, but maybe an adult was the best type of person to go to. It would probably be best if she went to someone she knew who was more established than she herself.

_35 minutes and two buses later . . ._

Amy knocked on the apartment door and waited patiently at the door mat. The door opened a few moments later, to reveal Rouge the Bat standing in the doorway. She smiled merrily when she saw Amy.

"Well, if it isn't Amy Rose. What brings you to these parts of town?" She greeted her with an unexpected welcoming air. Amy, clutching the sides of her arms in a defensive manner, grinning a strained grin, looked up with wide swollen eyes. Rouge instantly sensed that something was not right.

"Hi Rouge," said Amy in a strained and high-pitched voice. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," said Rouge, opening the door wider to let Amy in. The sad girl shuffled in slowly, and Rouge closed the door once she was inside.

"Come into the living room," said Rouge. "We can talk there."

Amy merely nodded, happy with her decision in coming to Rouge. They have never been close, but friends all the same. And being older and more experienced, Rouge would be a better comfort.

"I tried the club, but they said it was being fumigated," said Amy, now following Rouge into the living room.

It was a well-furnished apartment, decorated neatly and spaciously; not really a surprise for someone who was a jewel thief.

"Yeah, got a bad case of cockroaches," Rouge explained. "Of course, it's going to cost me a fortune to get the place clean, but once I open up again, I'll get back on track."

"Sit," Rouge offered with a smile and disappeared into the kitchen. Amy took Rouge's offer and made her comfortable on Rouge's black leather couch. Amy glanced around the room when she heard someone come down the stairs. She wasn't really that surprised when she saw who it was

"Who's at the door? Oh – Amy! Hi! I was just at Rouge's to borrow some . . . water . . . for . . . my plants! Yes, that's it! Just here for some water . . ."

He climbed down the stairs noisily, seeming half embarrassed. Amy resisted the urge to giggle and merely grinned at her echidna friend.

"Hi Knuckles. How have you been?"

"Better than you, by the looks of it," he commented on her appearance, setting on the chair opposite her once he finished climbing the stairs. "Everything okay?"

Amy slightly nodded. "Yeah, I just came to talk to Rouge about something."

"Oh, well, so did I."

Amy almost laughed again at another one of Knuckles's pathetic excuses for coming to visit Rouge. She and a lot of others as well, knew he wasn't here talk _at all_.

"You want me to leave you talk with Rouge? I have a few things to do anyway . . .

Amy shook her head. "No, please stay."

He nodded and settled back into the black armchair. Amy enjoyed having Knuckles around. The way he always gets so funny without even intending to, amused her to no end. It made her feel better. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Rouge finally re-entered the room with a tray of steaming mugs.

She set the drinks on the table and picked up her own cup. Amy thanked her for the tea and helped herself to her own drink. After taking her mug, she settled unto the thick armrest of Knuckles chair and charmingly crossed her legs.

"So," Rouge said, stirring her tea with her spoon. "What brings Amy Rose to my doorstep?"

Amy smiled and sighed a bit. It had been a good decision to come to Rouge. She would help.

"Well, something kind of happened with Sonic today," Amy explained, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh! You came for boy-advice! Well-"

"No, no, no! It's not like that!" Amy interrupted politely and Rouge looked at her expectantly. "It's sort of . . . well, I kind of . . . got over him today."

"You got over Sonic? How? Did he say something to you?" Knuckles asked, surprisingly tactful. Amy had also never been that close to Knuckles, but noticed how mature he had gotten over the years, even after they had all teamed up to save the world when they were kids.

"No, not really." She wasn't really sure how to put it in words. It wasn't like she could take out her heart and show them the damage.

"How did this happen?" Rouge asked sweetly, keeping her voice soft. It was quite out of her character, but maybe Knuckles had changed her a bit. Sure enough, Rouge had grown too, now more beautiful than she was ever capable of being.

"I don't . . . KNOW!" And before the audience could do anything, the girl burst out in tears and cried into her hands. Knuckles gave his mate a confused look and the bat rolled her eyes at his superciliousness. She didn't move from the spot on the armrest, but patiently waited for Amy to regain herself.

"It's just . . . the only goal in my life was to get Sonic to like me, and now that I'm over him . . . I don't have a reason to live anymore!"

"Honey, that's not true."

"But, then, what should I do now?"

"Well," Rouge began, looking thoughtful, stirring her drink once more "Now you can do what you want. Maybe you can get a hobby?"

"Or go for someone else?" Knuckles suggested and Rouge gave him a sweet smile which he returned. Amy looked at the couple longingly, a distant memory of once picturing herself with Sonic popping into her brain.

She looked at the table next to where Knuckles sat and something caught her eye. A magazine lay on another pile and a large bolding blue headline caught Amy's attention. Wiping away a few tears, she sat up more straight.

"Knuckles, can you hand me that magazine for a moment?"

"Mmmm? Oh, sure." He gave her the magazine and she scanned the cover intently.

_**Mobius' first ever Olympics: Held here in Station Square.**_

"What's this?" Amy asked Rouge. She looked at the hedgehog in surprise.

"You haven't heard yet? It's all people talk about these days! They say that, it's been the hottest subject for the past few months."

Amy shook her head and read the paper through. Rouge and Knuckles exchanged looks and only waited in the silence.

She hadn't heard of the event. The winter had been so speeded; news had barely reached her in that time. The page explained that the athletics were also going to be held under a few more sports. A possibility passed her mind.

And for the first time, Amy wanted to run.

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**A/N: Oh, wow. I totally rewrote this chapter. It's much better now!**

**Right, please feel free to review. I welcome flames, so bring it on. I ain't afraid of criticism. Give me your opinions and tell me if you think something's not right.**

**I also do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2: The First Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**So close . . . but so far away . . ."**_

**Chapter Three: the First Step **

Amy sat upright against the comfortable park bench, yet her neck was slouched and her head bent down low. Her quills hung over her face as she had removed her headband. She was twirling it between her fingers, not really bothered with her surroundings.

Shade fell over her, produced by the huge tree which hung over beautifully, leaves puffed with life. Birds hopped on the ground in front of her, hoping for any piece of bread or food she would throw. But she had nothing, and payed the birds no attention as they searched curiously at her feet.

The sun was setting, casting the tree's shadow slightly away now, and yesterday morning felt like a different time to her. A different life she had always lived in with the goal of trying to find love.

That goal existed no more.

She was so young anyway, what did she know about love? What was love in the first place? A desire? A need? A necessity?

Her heart simply couldn't answer those questions.

She sighed as she watched the sunset sink into the non-existent earth. The moon was already up and the first stars were starting to appear, twinkling aimlessly in the canvas known as the sky. Regardless of the time, the park was still filled with people. Kids ran around, laughing and giggling, chasing each other while their mothers ran after them, calling for them to put in their jacket. Amy smiled at this sight. At least _they_ were enjoying the summer.

"Well, look what the cat drug in," sneered a dark voice behind her. She didn't turn around or gave any knowledge that she had heard him. Amy knew who it was, and quite frankly, she really wasn't in the mood for him now.

"Oh, don't be like that Rose." She could just _feel_ the smirk and sarcasm coming from him. Her mind told her to just ignore him; just stay quiet and he'll eventually get bored and find someone else to taunt.

But her depression got the better of her. Perhaps it was her longing for company . . . or maybe fate just hated her.

"What do you want Shadow?" she asked, still not looking at him. He slid in next to her on the varnished bench and she jerked her head up resentfully. To say the least, the look she gave him wasn't really attractive.

"Nothing Rose," he replied, a smirk still tugging at his face. "I have the fullest right to sit here."

"I never said you didn't."

"But you were_ assuming_."

"You don't even like me."

"You are correct. I don't."

"Then, why are you sitting here?"

"Do you see another bench that isn't occupied by someone I can't stand?"

She ignored him. His company was the last one Amy wanted right now. He rested his hands behind his head and lay back, seemingly comfortable with his position. Amy felt her eye twitch with irritation.

"So," he began in a dull tone, not looking at Amy.

"So what?" Amy snapped back, making his presence to her very disapproving. Shadow only raised his eyebrow at her, not too fazed by her catlike attitude.

"No need to bite my head off, Tiger," he taunted and put on that stupid smirk Amy was starting to hate . . . _a lot_. "I was just wondering why you're here and not chasing the faker like you normally do."

Amy felt her throat tighten and her eyes become glossy. Her head was getting a bit dizzy and she could feel the tears coming. She didn't respond until a few moments later.

"I'm over him," she mumbled softly, and put her headband back on her head. She stroked her hair with her finger tips. The heart-broken girl hadn't bothered to comb it in the last few hours, so it was tangled pretty badly.

"Good for you," he huffed, not really caring much. He glanced at Amy for the first time and what he saw, staggered him lightly. Her eyes looked tired and there were clear bags under them; a clear sign of no sleep. Her hair looked dirty but they were a little longer than the last time he saw her. He's always known Amy to be very jubilant and possess a very electrifying spirit. Could the fact that she got over the blue blur have driven her away from the core of her personality?

Shadow mentally snorted. Did he care anyway? There was no doubt in his mind that Amy had been a big influence on his life, even though she didn't know of it. The world wouldn't be here today if she hadn't reawakened Maria's voice in him, and for that, he would always be grateful to her; even though he didn't like to show it.

He heard her sigh pitifully. He knew he should probably comfort her in some way, but it would possibly scratch his inner pride.

"So," said Amy's toneless voice next to him. "Did you hear about the Olympics?"

Shadow snorted. "O course. Who hasn't?" She cringed a bit at this. "It's all this blasted town talks about these days. I can't even go to the damn super market for bread without the cashier telling me 'to have a nice day and I hope you enjoy your athletics – I mean bread'!"

Amy laughed out loud at this. Nowhere in her dizziest daydreams would she have thought for Shadow the Hedgehog to own a sense of humour. It was unpredictably reassuring to know.

"I hear it's going to be big," Amy said conversationally, looking up into the sky in a searching manner.

"Apparently, it's an earth idea," Shadow replied, following his companion's gaze into the darkening sky. He could see the few stars that were already out, dazzling him with their sufficient beauty.

"I'm actually kind of looking forward to it," said Amy. "Did you hear there's a hedgehog division?"

"Don't you mean 'Sonic Division'?" Shadow said distastefully and furrowed his eyes.

"Don't be like that Shadow. I bet you could beat that faker any day," Amy reassured him in a friendly tone. Shadow chuckled at her.

"What's so funny?"

"I'd thought you'd be the _last_ person to call him a faker."

"I also thought pigs could fly. But it seems we both were wrong." She folded her arms and looked dead ahead of her, nose slightly raised in the air.

Shadow only smirked, wanting to laugh but thought better of it. He didn't know how violent Amy could get.

The park had cleared out in the time of their conversation. It was practically empty now, and they were the only ones left to enjoy the warm summer's night.

"So, are you going to enter?"

He looked at her confusedly, a look that was considered too unfamiliar with someone with his calibre. She only smiled at him sweetly, the colour returning to her face.

"I don't know. I'll consider it," he admitted, staring at his hand as he did.

"Oh. Well I'm going to."

Shadow looked at her as if she was insane.

"Are you serious Rose? Won't it be a bit embarrassing to be beaten by you ex-love interest?"

She only shook her head smugly and smiled a little. "Nope. He's not allowed to run with his shoes. I'm a hedgehog too and I'm tired of not having a purpose in my life anymore."

She stood up from the bench and turned to walk away. The next thing she heard was so unexpected; she almost didn't think it was Shadow who said it.

"Good luck, Rose."

She only smiled behind his back and very much out of her character, threw a piece sign over her shoulder and she heard Shadow lightly chuckle. Slowly, embracing the soft breeze through her hair, she continued on her path down to the exit of the now-empty park.

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**A/N: Oh, yeah. I like this chapter. It was surprisingly easy to get Shadow's personality right. I thought he would be the trickiest.**

**Please review, I need all the help I can get. Tell me what you think and don't be shy.**

**And I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**PLEASE REVIEW MY PRETTIES!!**


	3. Chapter 3: Falling

**One Step at a Time**

"_**Everything that you've always dreamed of . . ."**_

**Chapter Three: Falling **

"Amy, please!"

"_Geez_ Tails. Do it yourself."

"Come on! Have a heart, will ya?"

"It's right there in front of you!"

"But I can't reach it!

"Oh, stop being so lazy."

Tails eyes grew wide and before Amy could even stop him, his bottom lip began to quiver and he crossed his arms and pouted childishly. Amy only rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, giving a stern look that people rarely saw her do.

Amy just put her head in her hand and shook it with frustration. Really, if Tails wanted the remote, why didn't just get it himself?

"You're so immature these days, Tails. Even Cream behaves better," said Amy, also crossing her arms.

"Fine!" And he stomped out of the room. "I'm telling Sonic!"

The she-hog's eyes grew wide. Of all the people she had to put up with on a Monday and now Sonic was going to get dragged into this? Great. Just peachy.

The pink hedgehog sighed; something she's been doing a lot these days. She didn't feel herself anymore. It wasn't actually until last night, when her head hit her fluffy pillow that she realised that the hedgehog had actually gotten over him this weekend. Ever since her talk with Shadow in the park, her thoughts had been really occupied.

'_Are you serious Rose? Won't it be a bit embarrassing to be beaten by you ex-love interest?'  
_Amy huffed and then shooed Shadows mental voice out of her mind. Sonic may be fast, _even without his shoes_, but she wasn't doing this for him. No, something inside told her that she just _had_ to do this.

And so, with the news that she was entering the Olympics, she headed off to find Cream. When she came to her house, it transpired that the bunny was with Tails. Amy then went out to find Tails, and found him on the couch in front of the TV, stretching with all his might to get to the remote but just couldn't reach it.

Cream was nowhere to be found and Amy only guessed she left because Tails was too lazy to play with her.

Something you would not expect of the fox. Maybe Sonic has been rubbing off on him.

With another sigh and a slight irritable twitch of the eye, she sat down on the musty couch in Tails' workshop. The couch smelt funny. It wasn't until a few seconds later that she realised it smelled like Sonic.

After quickly arguing with her head, she decided to leave before Sonic came back with Tails. She didn't have enough guts to talk to him anymore. Amy wondered for a moment how _he_ was reacting to it all. Sure enough, Knuckles would soon tell him she was over him. It wasn't really something she wanted to tell him to his face.

'_Hi Sonic! Guess what? I got over you!'_

It sounded so silly in her head, she wasn't even considering it. But what if he came to her? Asked her what was going on?

But wouldn't he be glad? She knew she hadn't been really something pleasant to deal with whenever she was around him. After thinking a few more minutes, the hedgehog finally stood up and left.

Before the teenager could think of turning back, running into the house, and hug Sonic like he's dying, she already found herself at the door. Letting herself out, she closed the door behind her and gave one last look at the garage. Sure enough, Tails was a bit different as well.

'_Must be puberty.'_

Continuing down the street, she wandered around a bit. It was becoming a favourable leisure pursuit to pass the time, as it was all she really did in her free time these days. Company wasn't something she really sought out these days, whishing to be alone. Being alone gave her a lot to think about. For one thing, she had never thought so much in her life.

She hadn't really been paying attention, because when she looked up she found herself in the middle of the road. Hadn't she been more up the road a while back? Was she really that fast of a walker?

"Get out of the way!"

"Look out!"

Shouts came from all directions and Amy had no idea where to look for the source of the trouble. It was only once she turned around, did her heart skip a beat.

A speeding van, with screeching tires, was desperately trying to break, its wheels screeching sickly on the road. Horns were honking and people were still shouting in alarm. But what could they do? The van was a mere few metres from the lonely pink hedgehog, standing unmoving in the middle of the road.

The girl was frozen on the spot, and in the middle of the road of all places. She could get out of the way if she wanted, but would she be fast enough? Her legs wanted to move but couldn't summon the power to work at all. Amy closed her eyes tightly, too terrified too look. She almost wanted to cry for Sonic out of habit, but in a split second decided against it and braced herself for the impact.

It never came. A lot of people gasped, as the girl had miraculously disappeared in a silver blur. The van crashed into a large truck on the other side of the road with an unbelievable force, metal parts and glass shards Showering over the street.

Amy opened her eyes curiously, thinking for a split second that she was possibly dead. Clearly, she was not in the same spot she had been standing in a few seconds ago. Heck, she wasn't standing at all.

Amy only felt arms hold on to her as she was moved out of the way. She caught herself looking into the golden eyes of the one and only, Silver the Hedgehog.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes looking deep into hers. Amy was sure that if she had been able to speak, she'd be stuttering. He had one of his arms under her knees and the other was supporting her weight at the back. She didn't even get to answer his question before he spoke again.

"Let's leave. We're drawing a crowd." And he ran off at top speed again, with Amy still in his arms, holding on tightly as the wind whipped through his silver quills.

Amy had never known Silver to be this fast. She'd always seen him fly or use his telekinesis power. Not to mention she never really saw him around much. Yet here he was, with her in his arms, running off with her at a speed that would rival Shadow's . . . or Sonic's for that matter.

After fleeing a safe distance away, Amy found herself, once again, at the park. Ironically, in front of the bench she had sat with Shadow yesterday. Silver looked at her meaningful and she couldn't help but feel the heat rise up in her face. His eyes betrayed his worry as he set her down on the ground gently, and Amy felt more secure with her feat back on solid land.

"Are you okay?" he asked again and Amy nodded shyly. He then smiled charmingly and sat down on the bench. Amy went to join him. An awkward silence entered.

It was Amy who broke the ice.

"I didn't know you were that fast Silver," Amy admitted, feeling a bit rude for not thanking him first. He didn't seem to mind.

"I've been training a lot these days," said the gray-white hedgehog, swinging his legs in a childish manner while they hung a few inches from the ground. Amy guessed he felt embarrassed.

"Why? Are you entering the Olympics?" Amy asked and Silver nodded without looking at her. He was afraid of what Amy might say. People haven't been taking the news seriously enough whenever he told them. Blaze didn't have much to say to it; Cream looked really confused; Knuckles fell asleep; Rouge only laughed. He didn't even want t start on Sonic. . .

"That's great! So am I!"

It wasn't the response he got that surprised him; it was more what she said. "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously. She nodded enthusiastically and her smile broadened.

"This is so great! We're going to compete against each other!" she squealed with exhilaration, hopping up and down on the bench.

Silver didn't really know what to say to this. The news that Amy Rose had gotten over Sonic the Hedgehog was mostly all people gossiped about these days, and it had spread as rapidly as a forest fire. Most people didn't believe it, saying that it couldn't be true. Amy Rose? Get over Sonic the Hedgehog? It just wasn't the way the universe worked.

When he heard himself, he was quite astonished that she had in fact given up on him. But to his amazement, she was going to enter the Olympics, and would not only possibly compete against him, but Sonic most likely as well; if she got through the trials, anyway.

"Amy, are you even prepared for this?" he asked her and she looked at him confusedly. "I mean, have you been training and exercising at all?" She shook her head and Silver could only stare.

"I'm not really sure how," she confessed, putting her hands in her lap and staring at the park's inhabitants. "I know I should, but I don't actually know where to start."

"Why don't you ask Shadow?"

Amy looked at him as if he were nuts. The mention of his name reminded her of their conversation the day before. She wondered for a moment whether Silver was good friends with him. Silver only chuckled at her expression.

"You'd be surprised what Shadow does in his free time," he explained, suddenly standing up from the bench. "He's as fit as a racehorse."

"He'd kill you if he heard you compare him to a racehorse, you know."

"I know, but you should think about going to him for some help. He trains like the worlds going to end tomorrow." He smiled at Amy and she felt the heat coming back into her face. "I should be going now."

Just as he turned to leave, Amy cried out for him. "Silver! Wait!"

He turned around and she was standing right in front of him. She smiled sweetly and held her arms behind her back, looking a bit uncomfortable, maybe even a bit embarrassed.

"Thank you for saving me." And she lifted her head to kiss him on the cheek. She smiled again and turned around to leave.

Silver could only stare and lightly touch the side of his face, until a small blush and goofy smile crept up his facial features.

"Good luck then, Amy."

She grinned and after experiencing a slight feeling of familiarity, continued down the path to the gates of the park.

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**A/N: I don't like this chapter much. But tell if **_**you**_** do! Drop me a review, okay?**

**I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**REVIEW! FOR THE SAKE OF THE PIDGEONS!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Step and a Half

**One Step at a Time**

"_**Close enough for you to taste . . ."**_

**Chapter Four: A Step and a Half **

"Hi! I need your help!"

"Nope."

"Oh, hi there Shadow, I didn't see you there! You think you can help me?"

"Nah, try again."

"Shadow. The fate of the world rests in your hands. You _have_ to help me!"

"Too desperate."

"Shadow . . . please. . . I can't do this without you."

"Whoa. Too deep."

"Oh, for the love of Pete!" cried Amy and she threw her arms up in frustration. Cream only snickered from the couch she was sitting on. It was quite entertaining from her point of view, to see Amy pull a variety of faces and voices.

It had only been yesterday that Cream herself found out about the upcoming Olympics.

'Wasn't really advertised that well," was her thoughts when Amy informed her about it. Her friend entering should have been something she saw coming, but the get-over-Sonic-for-no-reason had blown her mind. Cream was pretty sure she knew Amy well. After all, they'd been through more together than all the rest of the bunch.

But not even _she_ saw _that_ one coming. Imagine her face, when Amy came up to her, announcing that she had gotten over the blue hedgehog and that she was entering the biggest and toughest competition on this side of Station Square.

"Are you completely nuts?!" Cream had shouted at her and it resulted in a ten minute brawl between the bunny and the hedgehog. At the end, Amy won the argument, stating that she was really over Sonic and that entering this contest was her newest goal.

Cream had come to sleep over at Amy's, after she had told her what happened yesterday with Silver. And of course, being the great friend she was, she laughed her little rabbit ass off about it. She herself saw Silver as a funny character, but Shadow was, in her opinion, one hell of a weirdo.

So now, they were in Amy's living room, and Amy had sought the help of her bunny-eared friend as to try and find a way to convince Shadow to help her train. She really wasn't as much assistance as you'd think she would be.

"Amy," Cream began, while she watched her pink-haired friend pace around the room in irritation. "Just go up to him and ask nicely. And if that doesn't work you can always tell him Maria would have _wanted_ him to help you."

"Cream! That's as inconsiderate as it gets," Amy scolded the Bunny who only shrugged in reply. "Besides, I think it would be best if I just get some advice. I don't want a trainer."

"Right," Cream nodded in agreement. "That's what you have me for."

"You're kidding right?"

"No, why?"

Amy just shook her head to herself and plopped herself next to Cream on the mushy sofa. She ran her fingers through her quills in annoyance. She keeps forgetting to make a hair appointment. They were now resting on her shoulders and just long enough to be tied in a ponytail. But she guessed she really wanted to grown them long, maybe even to prove she can be whoever she wanted to be.

"I don't know why you just don't train yourself," Cream acknowledged, crossing her arms with a shrugging motion. "I mean, how hard can it be?"

"Harder than you think."

For the past four days, Amy had been trying to 'train' in any way she could think of. None of it seemed to have made her any faster or have any effect on her speed at all. She was beginning to wonder whether her pride and fear of refusal kept her away from seeking Shadow's help.

"Well just jog around the block every day," the bunny recommended, now slightly irritated with the argument.

"That's not really going to help much."

"Well I don't see _you_ coming up with any suggestions."

Amy only snorted.

"I don't want to make a fool of myself, Cream. If I don't get Shadow's help, I don't know what I'm going to do. I mean, there's no way in hell I'm going to Sonic for help."

"Yeah, you're right. His ego wouldn't be able to handle it."

"No, I mean, he'll have a laughing fit bigger than his ego. And first elimination round is in four months. Who knows how long it will take me to get into shape?"

"Four months is a _long_ time."

"Yeah, maybe to you, but you're young. Now me . . . I'm set in my ways."

"I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Neither am I. Guess I've been watching too much Oprah."

They both laughed at this. It was times like these that made Amy thankful that she had friends to keep her mind off things.

To her immense surprise, her time without ogling at Sonic had been refreshing and it astonished her slightly. As a teenager, her first reaction would probably to go into depression, see a therapist, and become a stalker . . . although she guessed she kind of had been that already. At least she wasn't as dejected as she was a few days ago. Amy presumed her meeting with Silver had helped a lot, and possibly even, her conversation with Shadow and Rouge.

"Amy?"

"Mmmm?"

"Just_ ask_ Shadow already. And if he says no, then, _so what_? We'll just check on the internet for some stuff."

Amy chuckled softly. Really, it wouldn't be the end of the world if he turned her down. Besides, she could always ask Silver for some training advice if Shadow refused. The pink hedgehog smiled broadly at her best friend.

"Alright then."

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Sonic yawned widely and stretched himself out while he groaned. He turned his position and made himself more comfortable under the tree he'd been napping.

He was at the park. His original plan was to go for a nice long run, but he found a nice concealed spot behind the park bench, right behind some bushes. He'd been so lazy he'd thought some well-deserved rest would do him some good. Every now and then some couple or loner would come and sit on the bench and Sonic (who was still concealed) could listen to all their conversations. He felt a bit insecure and maybe a bit rude, but, hey . . . he wasn't hurting anybody . . .

His ears picked up two pairs of footsteps approaching the bench. Next, he heard them sit down.

"Thanks for coming to see me, Shadow," said a sweet familiar voice. Sonics' ears perked up at the tone. He recognised it. It was Amy.

But what was Amy doing with Shadow of all people? You wouldn't exactly consider him a people's person. Was this a date then? But why would Amy pick _Shadow_? Hadn't she already stated that Sonic himself wasn't good enough for her?

Of course, when Knuckles actually came to tell him that she really was over him, he'd didn't really know what to think at first. His friend had supportably clasped his houlder and had asked him whether he was okay. Sonic had merely laughed and shrugged off the enchidna's hand, laughing.

Sure, it surprised him, but he was more worried about Amy, and whether he had done something to upset her. He'd considered going to her, maybe have a talk, but right now he guessed he could only give her some space and wait for her to come to him.

Not that it really bothered Sonic that the pink hedgehog was over him. After all, he'd been trying to shake her off for months. Sure, maybe he was a bit stunned at first, but all the same hateful . . . I mean, grateful.

"What do you want Rose?" Sneered Shadows voice at her. Sonic almost growled at his tone. Didn't this guy treat anyone with respect?

"I-I-I was, uh, you know, just, uh, wondering if you could maybe . . . help me."

Sonics' eyes widened a bit. Why was she stuttering? It wasn't _that _cold. _In fact,_ it was a lovely summer's afternoon. The sun was pretty warm today, even with Sonic in the massive tree's shade.

"And _why _would I help you?"

Sonic almost growled. Really, who wouldn't want to help Amy? How could you refuse someone so sweet?

"Because . . . that's what friends do for each other."

By now, Sonic couldn't take it anymore. He sat upright and scooted closer to the pair hesitantly. Slowly reaching up, he pushed some of the plants and bushes away, and to his view came the back of Amy and Shadow. He half expected Shadow to hear him, but Sonic guessed he was absorbed in his conversation, he didn't seem to be listening that much.

"You consider me as a friend?" It was more of a surprised than a snappish pitch of voice. Sonic saw Amy smile up at the black hedgehog thoughtfully and nod.

"Of course."

Sonic scooted closer.

"Why did you come to me for _that _sort of help? Wouldn't it be better to ask the faker?"

Sonic almost jumped up to tell Shadow off, but it was only a millisecond later did he realise he wasn't part of the chat. He stayed (with difficulty) in his hiding place, resisting the urge to growl.

Amy looked almost if she wanted to say something else than what she _did_ say.

"I thought you would know more on the subject."

Sonic thought Shadow seemed a little smug about this. What a git . . .

"Very well then," announced Shadow, showing his signature smirk. Sonic could _just_ make it out from where he was sitting. "I'll help you. Meet me here again tomorrow. I'll call you about the time later."

An ear-splitting squeal came from Amy and she grabbed Shadow into a hug. The poor guy never saw it coming and Sonic wasn't sure whether to snarl or laugh at the small blush on the Ultimate Life form's face. Amy soon let him go (not soon enough was Sonics' opinion) she ran off saying a few more thank you's as she went. Shadow smirked again when she was gone.

"You can come out now, faker."

Sonic nearly jumped at this but stood up and came out of the bushes anyway. How long did Shadow know he was eavesdropping? Was he going to tell Amy?

Shadow chuckled at him, standing up from his seat, and faced his enemy.

"You're lucky I didn't rat you out," he said, while Sonic merely glared. "It would be a shame if she had another reason to avoid you." The blue blur stared at him coldly.

"What are you helping Amy with?" he demanded, not caring if he sounded boorish. Shadow barked out a loud yet evil-sounding laugh.

"That has nothing to do with you, _Sonic_. Just like our meeting had _nothing_ to do with you."

"Are you going to tell her I spied on you?"

Shadow shook his head. "Nope."

Sonic face so surprised, Shadow wouldn't be surprised if it stayed that way permanently.

"Why?"

"I already take comfort in the fact that I had succeeded in making Sonic the Hedgehog jealous."

Sonic's mouth fell open. "You think _I'm_ jealous of _you_?!"

"It's wrong to be dishonest with yourself, faker."

"I'm not jealous!"

"Then why do you care what I'm helping Rose with?"

Sonic only stared. He wasn't sure if he had a good enough answer to that. He'd never admit he was envious towards _Shadow the hedgehog. _Shadow only chuckled darkly at his silent response. A zooming breeze followed after that, and then he was gone.

Sonic sighed and sat down on the bench behind him.

What did Shadow have to offer to Amy that Sonic couldn't?

It took him a full minute of thinking to come to the conclusion that he, possibly in his opinion, he _was_ jealous.

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**A/N: This chapter was fun to write, although the second scene was a bit tricky. Hehe, it's hard for me to portray jealousy, but I think I got it right.**

**Please review!**

**I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**Again, please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: How to Take a Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**But you just can't touch . . ."**_

**Chapter Five: How to Take a Step**

"_Taking on the profession as an athlete is __both exigent and worthwhile. You must be able to deal with bringing up the rear and endearing at the matching moment in time." _

Amy looked up at the thick book she was reading and wrinkled up her face in confusion. To her, everything was just gibberish. She took a bit into the apple that she had brought with her and the crunch soon turned juicy. She looked up from the blanket she was laying on that she had spread out on the grass. The teenage hedgehog was at the park. Surprise, surprise . . .

It was the same tree she'd always sit under, except now only on the other side of the bushes that surrounded it, and seeing as no bench stood on this side, Amy took this as the opportunity to lie down and enjoy the fine weather.

The park was, as always, populated by the same free-spirited children, who played with as much mirth as their time could allow. The athlete-in-training stared at them longingly. For just a second, she wished she was young and free again; arrogant to what the world held and what life had to offer.

Sure enough, her maturity had raised more than ever in the past few days than it did in a few years. It made her feel more independent and maybe more empowered than she usually felt, and she liked it. It was as if her wings had seized drying off and she was already learning to take off. Only problem was, learning to fly wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Her mind drifted, and the apple was still being clutched by her fingers. This week had been so speeded. Amy had gotten over Sonic, had entered the Olympics, had nearly gotten ran over a speeding van and was then heroically rescued by Silver, had a civilised conversation with Shadow (the one who calls himself the Ultimate Life form)and borrowed half the library from him.

Shadow hadn't been as much help as you'd expected him to be. When Amy came back to the bench to meet up for their arrangement for him to help her train, all he had brought with him . . . were books; a whole stack, set, mountain, heap and just (according to Amy) freaking too much books.

Amy had never known Shadow for the bookworm-type. And he laughed right in her face when she said that to him exactly.

"Trust me, Rose," he had said after piling the books in her arms. "Training mentally first will prepare you for the physical exercise."

She had to admit, she was starting to have her doubts on seeking his help, but she guessed she should be more grateful. The Ultimate Life form had given her a lot of studying and thinking to do.

Her attention was turned back to the book in her hands.

"_A training program has to be developed to meet the individual needs of the athlete and take into consideration many factors: gender, age, strengths, weaknesses, objectives, training facilities etc. As all athletes have different needs, a single program suitable for all athletes is not possible."_

Amy's eyes widened and she sat upright in a millisecond. Is this what Shadow had been trying to teach her? This was all she had to realise through pages, and chapters, and paragraphs, and sections, and forewords, and-

"Hey Amy! Watch'a doin'?"

"Having an epiphany."

"Oh, cool. Can I sit?"

Amy only rolled her eyes and Cream took that as the signal to bounce and hop down onto the blanket and land right next to her pink-quilled friend. Cream stroked her friend's soft hair through her fingers.

"Boy Amy, your hair sure has grown," the rabbit remarked to her friend. Her quills fell an inch or so over her shoulders. It was surprisingly silky and smooth and smelled like a strawberry breeze and maybe even (ironically) a hint of roses. Cream inhaled the scent and her friend didn't seem to mind.

Cream turned to Amy, who seemed to be pretty far off in space.

"Training program . . ." the hedgehog muttered, stroking her chin with her index finger. The motion gave her the sudden appearance of a mastermind, cooking up an idea to take over the world. Cream, in the mean time, had picked up Amy's unfinished apple.

"I get it!" the pink hedgehog exclaimed excitedly, jumping up from her blanket on the ground. She picked up the book she'd been reading and went through the pages quickly, until she came by the page she was looking for.

'_Build you up to a level of fitness (2 weeks),_

_Test, recovery and adjustment of the training program (1 week),_

_Build you up to higher level of fitness (2 weeks),_

_Test, recovery and adjustment of the training program (1 week),_

_Build you up to an even higher level of fitness (2 weeks),_

_And so on . . .'_

'_Remember __a training program is athlete specific__ and the results of the tests in the third week can be used to adjust the training in the next three week cycle to address any limitations.'_

'_The content and quantity of training in each week and phase will depend on many factors. The page on __**Planning**__ (p 15) provides an insight into the process of data gathering and preparing training programs_.'

Amy jumped up and down with unmeasured eagerness. It all worked out perfectly; the first elimination trials were in eight weeks. This training program worked out for six weeks for two cycles. Cream could see the fire of thrill burn in Amy's eyes.

"Yes! We can do it Cream!"

"I have no idea what's going on, but I am _excited_!"

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(_Somewhere on Angel Island_)

"Sonic . . ."

"I mean, seriously! Can you believe he called me a faker?!"

"It's actually not that hard to believe."

"I'm telling you, Knuckles, Shadow is up to no good!"

"Yeah, that's why he saved the world. So he can take over it."

"May I remind you that it was not only _him_ who saved it?"

"Maybe . . . but you couldn't have done it without him."

"You mean _he_ couldn't have done it without _me_."

"I think _you_ are being a _prick_."

"I am not jealous!"

"I didn't say you were jealous, Sonic."

"But you were _implying_ it!"

"Oh, get your head out of the clouds Sonic! So what? Who cares if Amy got help from Shadow?"

"I do!"

"Why?"

"Because . . . uh . . . (_mumbles something_). . ."

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, (_still mumbling_). . ."

"Uh?"

"Erm, (_STILL mumbling_) . . ."

"DAMMIT SONIC! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME!?"

"I've got to go. I need to think."

"Good. Now get off'a my island. Rouge's coming to visit."

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Rouge's stealthy and stylish fingers slid down the edge of the shelf, scanning closely for what she was looking for. She found a nice bottle of champagne and carefully put in her basket. The white bat turned away from the shelf and made her way to a different aisle. She still needed some stuff to get before she went to visit Knuckles. He hadn't want to leave the Master Emerald tonight so Rouge suggested they have the date right next to it, then they could both guard it!

Rouge sadistically giggled. Yeah, she doubted whether any 'guarding' was going to be done tonight.

She then turned into a random aisle and was surprised at who she saw putting tomatoes in her shopping cart.

"Amy!"

The pink hedgehog looked up from the bag of tomatoes and smiled widely at Rouge. She waved and pushed her cart until she was right next to the jewel hunter. Rouge saw her cart filled to the brim with healthy foods and products.

"What's all this?" she asked and Amy smiled shyly. "I never took you for the vegetable-type." The teenager snickered.

"I'm changing my diet. My body needs all the food-groups!"

Rouge looked thoughtful at her friend. Sure enough, she had never been close to Amy, but ever since the Sonic-incident, she had grown a new respect for the teenager. Rouge fully supported her decision to enter the Olympics. She herself wasn't really into that sort of stuff but it would be nice to see Amy beat Sonic. Rouge also thought it would be good for Amy; you know, give her confidence a boost.

"I see," the bat replied, still smiling sweetly. "Started training yet?" Amy shook her head.

"Nah, I'm still working on my training program. I start on Monday."

Rouge knowingly nodded, and gestured towards the cart full off vegetables, fruits, yogurts and pastas and strangely enough, a loofah.

"What's with the sponge?"

"It's a loofah, Rouge."

"Ew, well it looks like a-"

"Okay, okay!" Amy interrupted her, waving her hand to signal Rouge to stop talking. "Cream kind of lost my wash cloth, so I guess it was time to upgrade to a loofah."

Rouge thoughtfully nodded. "Yeah, pretty soon you'll be using shower gel instead of soap!"

"Ha ha, mock all you want," said Amy, some sarcasm oozing through her grin.

"Well it's obvious you've got your Diet-Program worked out," Rouge remarked, looking over Amy's cart.

"Not really. I've just got to start eating better. Cream nearly burned all my cookies and biscuits. If she keeps up all this trainer stuff, I'm going to have the change my locks."

Both of them giggled.

"Well, I've got to run," Rouge informed her friend. "I've got a guarding-date with Knuckles tonight."

"'Guarding-date'?"

The jewel-thief merely winked and then turned around seductively, her hips swaying as she walked down the aisle of fruits and vegetables.

Amy grinned to herself and only shook her head. She turned around has well, thinking that she and Rouge would become even greater friends in the coming future.

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**A/N: This chapter sucks, in my opinion. But tell me what ya think, okay? PRESS THE REVIEW BUTTON!!**

**Anyway, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**REVIEW! FOR THE SAKE OF THE DUCKS!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Lot of Steps

**One Step at a Time**

"_**You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet . . ."**_

**Chapter Six: A Lot of Steps**

'_The process of creating a training program to help develop an individual's level of fitness comprises of 6 stages:_

_Stage 1 - assemble niceties about the individual_

_Stage 2 - classify the fitness components to extend_

_Stage 3 - identify suitable tests to scrutinize fitness status_

_Stage 4 - conduct a gap analysis_

_Stage 5 - accumulate the program_

_Stage 6 - observe development and regulate program'_

Cream looked up from the thick black book and decisively threw it on the floor after reading that particular piece. Amy gasped out loud and went to pick up the book.

"Cream!" she cried, checking the book for any damage. "It doesn't even belong to me! Can't you show the book some respect?"

The rabbit just shook her head and looked as bored as ever, not minding being rebuked at all. "Amy, you know I'm no good at reading, but at least I'm smart enough to not understand what stood in that book."

The hedgehog stared at her friend very strangely, not really understanding how someone's mind could work that way. After just shaking her head and rolling her eyes, she went to put away Shadow's book.

"So, if that's all the stages, what's stage one?"

"If you hadn't thrown away the book, you could have just checked in it."

"Yeah, I know. But I want to hear it in English."

That deplorable sigh you know all too well made the stage. Really, what was Amy going to do with this kid? If they hadn't been this good friends, Amy would probably hang out more with people that were up to her maturity. And that wasn't healthy for anybody.

"Stage one is to gather details about the individual."

"Huh?"

"I have to write down things about me."

Cream pulled up her one eyebrow and crossed her arms that gave her a sternly cute look. Amy almost wanted to hug her.

"How's that going to help?"

"Hush, Cream. Never question what's written in ink." With annoyance, she picked up the book she had just put away. She went through the pages quickly, scanning with intent. Amy turned to the next page and examined it carefully.

"Stage two '_is to conclude what components of fitness you need to advance. This will depend upon what the individual wants to get fit for - to improve general fitness, get fit enough to play in the Saturday hockey league, run a local 5 km fun run or compete in next year's London Marathon.'"_

"In this case; hundred metre sprint."

Amy nodded "And four hundred." Deciding what she wanted to run wasn't hard to decide. She pretty much only wanted to run, even though Cream had tried to convince her into at least trying out more events, but Amy flatly refused. She simply didn't have the time to train for another event. It was compelling enough to know she was still on perfect schedule.

Amy had also been against the idea of doing hurdles. She was just too scared and maybe a bit intimidated by the prospect. She could certainly learn to run like other hedgehogs, but jumping she wasn't entirely sure of. So, naturally, all the other jumping events had been crossed of the paper (literally).

The javelin and shot put event was also a little unsure for Amy. You wouldn't consider her to have as much strength as speed and she undoubtedly wasn't going to risk it. Speed was her best card right now, and she was going to play it with full confidence.

Track running was something she had considered but in the end, and after a lot of thinking and contemplation, decided against the idea. Fitness was one thing, but endurance wasn't something Amy was sure she possessed.

Only yesterday did she go to sign up for the first Elimination Round. She didn't see a lot of people she knew in the line. There was a few familiar faces though; Knuckles, entering for shot put, discus and javelin; Blaze, who went for all the hurdle events as well as the hundred metre and four hundred metres.

Amy also found Silver there, and also with a sweet bombshell, Shadow with him as well. They both signed in the same as Blaze, who Amy realised she could possibly compete against as well. When Amy came to the front, she already saw Sonic's name on the signing list and at the top as well.

A lot of the athletes, and Amy as well, had been a little disappointed when it was decided that there wasn't going to be a Hedgehog division anymore. She heard Silver complain about it to Shadow. She was even more disappointed when Shadow said it was Sonic's fault. And according to the newspaper she had bought on the way back, it was.

In fact, he had gone to the mayor to complain about their only being four hedgehogs in the entire town. The mayor argued that this was universal and that more hedgehogs would come, but Sonic pointed out that there was pretty much only four hedgehogs that were entering. Sure enough, he was right, and the mayor was forced to change the rules.

"Amy, do you read me? Repeat, are you still on this planet? Over."

The only female hedgehog in town's head shot up to find an impatient Cream staring up in her face.

"Copy that. I am still o the planet. Over."

"What's the third stage?"

Amy turned her mind back to the page and read_. "'The next stage is to categorize apposite tests that can be used to initially establish the individual's level of fitness and then to supervise advancement for the duration of the training. The __Evaluation Test__ page (p 67) identifies fitting tests for each of the fitness fundamentals._

"Acknowledged tests should be conducted and the results recorded.'"

The bunny nodded in an understanding way, looking thoughtful and busy with intense thinking. Then she looked up at her pink friend, eyes still sporting a perceptive expression.

"I don't understand."

"I've got to see what I can do before I see how far I can push myself."

"Oh, Okay. Stage four?"

"'_We now know the individual's backdrop, objectives and current level of fitness. We now need to demeanour a gap analysis of the contemporary fitness levels (from test results at stage 3) and aim fitness levels (identified at stage 2). The results of this development will aid in the design of the training program so that each constituent of fitness is enhanced to the required level._'"

"You lost me after the second word."

"It _means _that I have to write down how fit I am now and then put down I fit I am after the training, so I can compare the results and know how much faster I've gotten."

"Got it. Bring on number five!"

"' _The next stage is to prepare a training program using the results of the gap analysis by applying __frequency, intensity, time and the training activity.'"_

Cream, by now, was lying on her back on Amy's comfy couch, her hands behind her head, but her eyes wide open, showing no signs of boredom. How strange.

"Cream?"

"Hmmm?"

"Uh, did you get all of that?"

"Yeah, sure, sure . . ."

Amy only shook her head slightly and continued with the page. "_The program has now been agreed and the individual can commence the program.'" _She shot the book closed, and put it on the other heap of books that Shadow had leant to her.

"Alright! Let's get started! We've only got one week to make this thing! And you've got to start training next week!" exclaimed Cream, a determined look on her face. The bunny jumped off the couch and hopped to the Amy's bookshelf where they had already organised the equipment they'll need; A stopwatch, a clipboard, a whistle and sunglasses (Cream's choice).

"Let's get this bad boy on the road!"

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Shadow's eyes drooped slowly as he rested comfortably on the park bench. He was so familiar with the setting; he preferred the park the most. It was an exhausting day, as his training session had been more intense than usual and he had to go for the signing up for the Elimination Rounds, hating every moment as he did. Silver accompanied him, much to his dislike, but he let him come otherwise, as to at least have company while standing in the line.

Silver was very interesting to say the least. If he wasn't Shadow's enemy, he'd socialize with him more often. But he wouldn't really stoop that low.

He had seen a lot of people in the line; all of them seemed like weaklings to him. His only real challenge was Sonic and Silver. Possibly even Amy with all the information he's given her. He had taken into consideration that the girl was a hedgehog, just like he and the other two, and that she was fully capable of being just as fast as them. It slightly troubled him.

But he's helped her for a reason. For one, he felt he owed her that much at least, to show some gratitude towards her. He also felt it was a little unfair for her to go up there unprepared and totally mortify herself. It would only lower her confidence, and Shadow would hate to see the thing break that he admired so much about her.

Needless to say, he'd grown closer to her in a very short period. He'd never even been this close to Rouge, and she used to his partner (he vaguely wondered how she was doing). He had to remember, he was competing against her as well, and he had already ruled her out as a potential threat. She was an enemy.

Still, it was very rewarding to see the look on the fakers face when she had come to Shadow instead of him.

But what angered him slightly, was the relationship between Amy and Silver. He'd seen them together in the park a few days back, sitting together.

He was quite touched that Silver suggested him to Amy to go to help for instead of helping her himself. But what really steamed him up was the kiss. He didn't even know what Silver had saved her from, and he was so upset, he had just run off.

Shadow didn't know why, but he felt strangely obligated to help Amy in any way necessary, not just with training. He felt abnormally protective over her.

The feeling was quite pleasing.

Another thing that slightly troubled him, was Sonic's interference I the competition's rules. He himself would agree that a Hedgehog Division was partially silly, but for the mayor to agree was something new. He saw how entertained people always looked whenever they saw the faker run. A race between the best of the best would surely attract more spectators. Of course, Sonic could only have wanted to act the hero. You know, being _fair_ and all that crap. He swore, if he didn't get to beat that freak, he hoped Amy would.

His eyes finally shut close and he drifted off into a very unfamiliar peaceful sleep.

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**A/N: Aw, man, Shadow KICKS ASS! Seriously, this was a fun chapter. Also, please leave some reviews, please?**

**I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**REVIEW MY PRETTIES!!**


	7. Chapter 7: Steps Can be Painful

**One Step at a Time**

"_**Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it . . ."**_

**Chapter Seven: Steps Can Be Painful**

**Amy Rose**

I panted harshly, and it felt like my throat was burning from all the running I'd been doing. My chest was hurting and my heart could probably be heard miles away at the cruel sound it was making. I bended over and rested my hands on my knees, breathing as deeply as my pained chest could allow. The aches in my legs were unsympathetic and I could barely stand when they were shaking so badly. I fell down on my butt, but the feeling was so numb I didn't feel any pain. Really, athletics bites.

"Wow! You improved by two seconds! Great work Amy," said Cream and she smiled in an impressed way. She looked proud at my progression. Her tiny hand was clenched around the stopwatch she had hanging around her neck. It had taken her a full half-hour to figure out how to work it.

I had to admit, Cream was more help than I gave her credit for; maybe not a five-star Olympic coach, but a great motivator all the same. Whenever I got frustrated, soar, impatient or just helpless, she always had some way to make me feel better. She soothed my frustration with encouraging words, brought ice-packs for my pained muscles, and calmed me down when I got annoyed. I had to say, I was proud of her too.

It was the second day of my training; Tuesday, to be exact. We'd spent the previous week putting together my training programme, and we were pretty happy to have it behind us. It hadn't been the most enjoyable week of our lives.

I bent down to stretch and groaned in pain as it hurt me. Cream pushed me down to keep me in place, and I felt a bit better when I couldn't move. She counted and then ordered me to trade legs and did the same again by holding me down.

After thoroughly stretching down, Cream went to get my jacket from my bag. She threw it over my shoulders and I slipped my arms in, feeling a bit hot because I was sweating.

"Come on. I've still got to get your ice-bath ready," she hurried me and I stood up slowly while she got all our stuff together. I shuddered at the thought of sitting in a bath of ice again. It hurt like hell, so the idea didn't appeal to me.

I followed her out of the park. I had to admit, it was a great place to train. There's a straight path from the entrance to the small stream that measured precisely hundred and fifty-two metres. I could easily train my sprints there. There wasn't anybody in the park at the moment, which really wasn't that surprising as it was 6 AM. The sun was starting to peek over the tree tops and I could see more clearly now than I could two hours back.

But this was only the morning session. The afternoon session was the most fun. Cream didn't like it that much. She wasn't as fond of the gym as I was already. I'd only been there once yesterday, but I liked it immediately. It was a pretty fancy gym and expensive at that, but I get to go there for free the first week because I was competeing at the Olympics. For the first time in a long time, I felt pretty cool about myself.

At nights, Cream and I would do as much research as our brains could take. I had to go check the rules anyway as it said on the pamphlet I received the day I entered. The Olympics were a lot more complex than I thought.

Shadow once told me it was an earth idea, but they had to change a lot of things. On earth, athletes were chosen to represent their respective countries and enter in teams. The Mobius Olympics only allow teams to enter if a team is required for the sport; like in the Relay Rounds.

So, it was pretty much every man for himself. But that's another thing they changes from the original earth rules. The genders will compete in mixed order. The mayor said in the newspaper that it was unfair to think that one gender didn't deserve to compete against the other. I agreed with the fullest respect.

My thoughts were so occupied; I hadn't even noticed we were at my house. Cream opened the door and I followed her in with a sigh; time for hell on ice.

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"Oh, come on. It's not _that_ bad," Cream complained once she had my bath filled to the brim, and I was sitting in it, my teeth clattering like there's no tomorrow. She had a towel spread out on the ground for her, and grinned at my ridiculous expression.

"Y-y-y-yeah? W-w-why d-d-don't you join m-m-me th-th-then?" I shot back while my body burned from the freeze. Cream seemed reluctant to take my offer. I half expected her to jump in and see if it really was _that_ cold.

"Nah," she blew off, waving her hand over her shoulder. "The bath's too small."

I only rolled my eyes while my body shook badly. The crop-top and ski pant I had on wasn't helping much. The black material shined at the moisture of the icy water. I had to say, I was surprisingly comfortable training in them. I had only bought them two days back, as Cream had told me it was what athletes usually trained in.

Because I still didn't have appropriate shoes, I was training barefoot for the time being. Through our research, Cream and I discovered that athletes ran in spikes. And that they were pretty pricey. I took in a soar breath and tried to sigh, but was unsuccessful because of my burning chest.

Money was going to be hard to come by. I had already chipped into all my savings so I could start paying for my membership at the gym, so my funds were a little short. Cream was still pretty young to get a job, but I wouldn't accept money from her anyway. She was already much more help than she thought she was.

I considered getting a second job, as I already worked at the flower shop. But I didn't want anything interfering with my training. Cream stared at me sadly as she saw the worried look on my face.

"What's wrong Amy? Does it really hurt that bad?" Her eyes were big and for a moment I felt a bit bad for dragging her into this with me.

I shook my head, which really wasn't that hard to do, as I was almost shivering an earthquake. A beeping suddenly began and I recognized it as the stopwatch Cream was so fond of wearing.

"Okay, time to get out. But do it slowly, okay?"

I happily obliged, gasping at the pain as I leisurely stepped out of the bathtub. Cream patted me down with a _warm_ and _dry_ towel. Really, this kid was amazing.

My teeth had calmed down by now, and I felt better when I was dressed again. When I came down in the kitchen, Cream already had set out the ingredients for my breakfast. I mixed us both a bowl of yogurt, fruit and added nuts and small dried out fruits. By the time I had set out the table, she came hopping down the stairs, the stopwatch bumping against her chest as she did. I guess she felt some sense of authority whenever she wore it.

We both sat down quietly, and enjoyed our healthy breakfast without complaint. It was good, but you could always think of something better you could be having instead.

Cream had been staying with me since last Monday. Her mother didn't seem to mind; on the contrary she was quite proud she was helping me train. Her house wasn't even that far from mine; just a few turns down a few streets.

I had to admit, it was nice to have a roommate. I had never appreciated Cream as a much as a friend like I do now. But shouting with a bullhorn in your ear at four o'clock in the morning was looking to get killed (which I almost did).

"Amy?"

My head snapped up from my breakfast and Cream caught my attention. "Mmmm?"

"Why do you look so upset when you think?"

I only smiled a small one. I looked down at my bowl and played a bit with it with my spoon. I sighed, like I've been doing for the past three weeks.

"I need a sponsor, Cream," I admitted finally, and the bunny drooped her ears slightly. "I don't have enough money to cover the stuff I'm going to need for the Olympics."

"Like what?"

"Shoes, clothes and ice don't come cheap you know." True, we didn't _make_ all the ice I had to sit in and suffer. In fact, Cream and I had to go to the shop and buy these massive bags of ice and then I had to clear my entire freezer to make space for them.

"So? That's not much."

"We'll also need stuff to prevent injuries like tape and a medical kit or something. I'm beginning to think we should hire a physiotherapist."

"Bless you."

"No Cream, I mean someone who can handle all the problems I have or am going to have with my body. I can't afford to get an injury."

"You also can't afford to get a psycho-therapist," she pointed out bluntly, continuing with her breakfast.

"_Physio_therapist."

"Whatever."

I only shook my head and followed Creams example by finishing my bowl.

"Look Amy," she started and I looked up again. "We don't have to worry about this now. We still have some time to think of ways to work this out. There's still time to find a sponsor but the only thing we need to focus on _now_, is getting you through the first Elimination Round. So stop worrying and concentrate on what's most important."

I nodded and glumly stood up from my chair to clear the table. After Cream and I cleaned the dishes and finished clearing the table, we sat down in my living room. Only it didn't look like a living room anymore.

Every sofa and chair was covered with books and papers and folders. I wasn't kidding about the research thing. In a neat pile in the corner of the room were the books Shadow had lent me. I planned on giving them back to him tomorrow. I was done with them anyway, as I'd already gotten as much as I could out of them.

I opened up some of the curtains and let some dim light come into the room. The sun was now fully up and shining happily from above.

As I stood in front of the window, I couldn't help but think that some way, just maybe by some crazy miracle; I could actually prove something to myself.

Cream was right. I had to stay focussed.

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**A/N: Wooh that was fun. Next chapter: Sonic's point of view!**

**Drop me a review, okay? Can take all the advice I can get!**

**I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**Just as a last, I would like to dedicate this chapter to the passed King of Pop, Michael Jackson. May his soul rest in peace and his music and legacy live on for more generations to come . . . (No comment is allowed on this in any review unless it is to pay respects).**


	8. Chapter 8: A Curious Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**You know you can . . . if you get the chance . . ."**_

**Chapter Eight: A Curious Step**

**Sonic the Hedgehog**

Man . . . I hate waking up this early. It totally messes with my sleeping person. Most of all, it's just unnatural. It was still dark, as you can imagine, yet here I was . . . getting up before dawn. I must be going nuts.

Today was my day off from training, so that was a good reason to stay in bed and sleep in but . . . my curiosity got the better of me. And I'm pretty sure that one of these days it's going to kill me too.

I put on a thick coat, which felt pretty strange, because I preferred running without clothes. But I wasn't going for a run at all. I was just going for a nice little stroll . . . at 5 AM. Yep, nothing like walking through the park than before the sun comes up. Yessiree . . .

I tiptoed across the living room, my feet barely making a sound. I silently closed the door behind me. I didn't wasn't Tails to wake up and get suspicious. I had no doubt in my mind he would squeal on me if he found out what I was doing. I'd seen him more than once talking with Cream. I was beginning to wonder whether I should have _the talk_ with him.

The street lights were still on, so I could clearly see the road. I glanced around. I felt like one of those spies in those movies, who always wear sunglasses, even at night, and then there's always a big explosion at the end and the spy always ends up with the girl.

I grinned.

I could get used to life like that.

Shaking my head clean of the distracting thoughts, I casually walked down the street in the direction of the park. I hated walking. It felt as slow as hell. But I didn't want to pay attention to myself. If anyone was up, it would be better to stay out of eyesight-

I stopped in mid-step and smacked my forehead at my own stupidity. I feel like such a dweeb; a real nimrod. The whole idea is so that I _am not seen._

Hitting the side of my head a few times to make sure I was awake, I finally did the smart thing and ran with full speed until you could only see stray newspapers whirl behind me. It was only a minute later, or less, that I made it at the park. I ran past the gates, until I ended up at the last place I had been spying on Amy. I sat on my knees behind the varnished bench where I had once witnessed Amy have a conversation with probably the second worst pain in the ass life has ever seen.

The first was myself.

The lamps were pretty bright in the park, and it was totally deserted; except for the two girls, one a pink hedgehog and the other a yellow and orange bunny, standing by the straight path. I recognised Amy the second I saw her. My jaw dropped when I saw what she was wearing.

She was like one of those female human athletes; a black crop-top and a black ski-pant which stopped a few inches from her knees. And just when fate wasn't punishing me enough, I saw that she was sweating . . . a lot.

When I found out Amy entered the Olympics, to say I was surprised would be the freakin' understatement of the year. I was dumbfounded, astonished, astounded, shocked, bowled over and amazed; all squished together to form the emotion that I felt when Silver told me.

I mean, what was she trying to prove? She was only going to embarrass herself, and big time at that. Maybe she felt obligated, seeing as she would be the only hedgehog out if she didn't compete. And the fact that she's a girl kinda counts against her too. Poor Amy . . .

"Well, what do we have here?"

Aw, great. Just what I needed this early in the morning. Well, I guess it could be worse. I mean, it could've been Shadow.

"Get out of the bushes, Silver," I murmured, pretty sure he could hear me. "You're going to make noise and get us caught."

"Give me a break." He crawled out of the bushes, some twigs and leaves still stuck between his quills. "That coming from the loudest guy this side of town."

He scooted next to me and we both peered over the edge of the bench's back to watch Amy do a full sprint.

"She's fast," Silver remarked from next to me. I nodded in agreement.

She _was _fast; faster than I remembered her to be. Her legs worked furiously and she moved with such an athletic stamina I never knew she possessed. Her pace was perfect. She kept the tempo for a full seventy metres until her legs began to tire and her pace slowed down. She was out of breath when she was at the end and when she bent over to rest her hands on her knees, Cream jumped up excitedly.

"Way to go Amy! That's the best one yet!" she exclaimed gleefully. Of course, it wasn't hard to hear her when the entire park was empty, so her puny little voice carried all the way through the park, almost leaving an echo.

Amy only nodded her head and breathed deeply, too tired to speak by the looks of it, her chest rising and falling. I couldn't help but stare. I shook my head when I realised what I was doing and turned away from the scene. I sat down and rested my back against the bench. Silver followed my lead. I had almost forgotten he was there too.

"What are you doing here Silver?" I asked curiously and he grinned at me. I never knew he could irritate me like this. But I guess it's only natural. I mean, the guy did try to killme once upon a time.

"I could ask you the same thing."

I should have seen that coming. But then again, this was Silver. Who knows what the son of a gun is going to say next?

"How did you know Amy was training here?"

He kept grinning. "What? You thought she was going to train with you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it," I interrupted him, getting really irritated and impatient with him. "But then, why are you here?"

He shrugged and I felt the need to punch this guy in the face. "I was curious."

I only shook my head and rolled my eyes. Really, since when had Silver started being a pain in the ass? I guess it was because he was hanging out with Shadow more. I saw the guys together in the line for the sign-ups. I should have known . . .

"Why are _you_ here, Sonic? Worried about the competition?" he asked with some mocking tone that made me even more annoyed. I glanced over my shoulder to see if the girls have noticed us. Relieved, I saw Amy do another sprint, with the same wonderful pace as the previous one.

Competition? What kind of question was that? I was Sonic, wasn't I? Fastest thing alive? Ring any bell? Really, I was even surprised when I allowed me to enter the Olympics.

"Yeah, that's why I sneaked out at 5 AM to spy on Amy. Because I'm scared she'll beat me and embarrass me to tears," I said, letting the sarcasm ooze out of my false confession.

"Ha ha," he replied in a dull colourless tone. "Really Sonic, why are you here?"

I shrugged and hoped it would bug the hell out of him. "Curious."

"Sure," he said, grinning again, and I could hear he was unconvinced.

I only nodded and crawled past the bushes, peeking over my shoulder now and then to check if I was still inconspicuous. Silver was following. When we finally made it past the bushes in a safe area, we both stood up facing each other.

"You knew I was coming, weren't you?" I accused him, crossing my arms sternly. He only shrugged, and it made my temper rise a bit.

"It may surprise you, Sonic. But I'm not the only one who finds Amy fascinating. And you know Sonic, spying on Amy isn't going to help you get her to like you again either." And he ran off, with a speed that kind of surprised me. Since when could Silver run?

And, seriously, why would I want Amy to like me again? Hadn't I Always tried to get away from her? And then, out of nowhere:

'_It's wrong to be dishonest with yourself, faker_.'

The fact that Shadow had made it into my conscience really ticked me off. I ran off, trying to forget what just happened. I didn't want Amy to see me.

Damn, I hated this. I hated this, a lot.

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**A/N: This chapter's a bit short, but I'm pleased all the same. Tell me what you think, okay?**

**Also, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**REVIEW!!**


	9. Chapter 9: If You Seek This Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**In your face as the door keeps slamming . . ."**_

**Chapter Nine: If You Seek This Step **

"_La la la, lala la la la_."

"Shush."

"_La la la, lala la lala_."

"Cream, stop it."

"_Oh baby, baby, have you seen Amy tonight_?"

"Quiet!"

"Okay, okay! Geez," huffed Cream and she crossed her arms and pouted.

Amy gave her a meaningful look and continued reading her book, and turned her position on the couch. She supposed it would be better to read outside, as she and Cream had spent most of their time in her house, whenever they weren't training, reading and doing more research.

It was Thursday; Amy's fourth day in training. She still had to go to the gym later on.

By this time in the week, she was truly worn out. Her body was always stiff from training and the ice-baths became worse and worse (in her belief). But Cream said it would take time before she had completely adjusted to the training program, and Amy only hoped it would be soon.

"_Love me, hate me. Say what you want about me."_

She ducked her head under the book, in a failed attempt stop get Cream's singing voice out of her hearing-range. The bunny had been obsessed with a new song she and Amy had heard on the radio two days back, and had began singing it to herself, until she almost drove her hedgehog friend into killing herself.

"_But all the boys and all the girls are begging to if you seek Amy!"_

"Cream! Will you quit it already with that stupid song? It doesn't even make any sense!"

"You're just mad because they used your name without your permission," her trainer accused childishly, sticking her tongue out for extra effect.

The hedgehog hit her friend on the head with the hard book, and the rabbit ducked without success.

"_Ow!_ Damn, Amy. You sure get pretty angry these days pretty easy and pretty quickly," Cream remarked while rubbing the newly formed bump between her ears.

"Yeah, well, when your name is being used in a sexual reference, it _pretty_ much pisses you off."

The bunny turned her head slightly to the side, sporting a look of puzzlement. "I don't get what you mean by 'sexual reference'. Isn't the song about a girl named Amy who gets drunk at party?"

"No," sighed Amy, and instantly regretted saying anything. She was pretty sure Cream's mom would kill her for this, but she guessed the rabbit was out of the bag now. "It's actually spelling a word."

"Like what?"

"Well, you know the songs name is 'If You Seek Amy'?"

Cream nodded. "Yeah?"

"Well, they actually mean F.U.C.-"

Ding Dong.

Amy sighed out in relief and jumped up to go answer the door. Cream remained seated on the couch and with the same confused look as before.

"Wait! I still don't get it!"

'Saved by the bell,' she thought walked down the hall which leads to the front door. She opened it without looking out of the peephole and was amiably surprised at who stood at her doorstep.

"Rouge!"

The white bat smiled widely and Amy saw her holding a big plastic bag, filled with what Amy could only guess was a lot of papers. The bag must have been heavy because she seemed to have been struggling a bit to keep her grip on it. Amy took the bag from her and Rouge gasped out in relief.

"Thanks," she panted. To Amy, the bag wasn't really that heavy. Guess working out at the gym helps out for more than one reason. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Amy held the door open for her and smiled to herself. Becoming friends with Rouge had never officially been confessed in her mind. She guessed there was always some kind of friendship, but ever since the whole Sonic-thing, they seemed closer than usual.

"It's great that I finally found you," Rouge admitted while they made their way to the living room. "Whenever I come by your house, you're never here. And when I went to look at the flower shop, Mr Petal said you already got off."

The flower shop was Amy's current job, working weekends for some extra money. It wasn't really a big business and Amy really had to do was rearrange the flowers according to sized or colour. It was a pretty relaxing job and Mr Petal was a friendly old man Amy enjoyed talking with. She had informed him of her training and he agreed to give her all the time off she needed. He'd also said he be more than happy to support her. She left the shop that day in high spirits.

"Sorry about that," Amy apologised and followed Rouge into the living room. Cream looked just as happy to see her as well.

"Rouge! Hi!" and she jumped up to give the bat a friendly hug. Rouge was almost knocked over by the excited bunny, but, none the less, was happy to see her too.

"Hi, sweetheart. How's the coaching business?" she asked with a gorgeous smile. Amy actually noticed for the first time how beautiful Rouge actually was.

"Great!" Cream exclaimed and went to sit next to Amy, who had already settled herself on one of the couches and had put the bag on the table. Rouge took in her own seat across from her.

"Can I get you anything?" Amy offered and the bat shook her head politely.

"No, thank you," she answered and crossed her legs. "I just thought I would drop by to give you your invitation."

Amy and Cream looked at each other excitedly.

"The club's done being fumigated so I can open up again. And thank goodness too, because I was really starting to worry whether people were wondering if people thought I locked up for good.

"There's a special formal party for all the athletes entering the Olympics. They thought my club would be the best place and there paying me a lot of money! Anyhow, you're invited as well and the coaches, managers, and all those random other weirdos people don't really care about, are obligated to come as well."

"What's it for?" Cream asked, bouncing up and down slightly.

"The mayor thought it would be a good idea for the athletes to know who they are competing against, and wanted to support good sportsmanship between the competitors. But because some of the trials aren't finished yet, like yours for instance, everybody who signed up is required to come. So, here you are."

Rouge bent over and took out a small white parcel out of the huge bag. She handed it to Amy and Cream and Amy tore it open instantaneously.

"This is so _cool_!" she squealed and bounced up and down on the sofa. It was a very fancy letter, with Club Rouge's spectacular logo at the top of the page.

"Amy."

The teenager looked up to find Rouge's piercing eyes staring into her. They held such a scarce air of sincerity; Amy found she couldn't look away.

"Amy, you've been training hard, right?"

Amy nodded, not really sure where Rouge was going with this. Was this therapy?

"And you take this thing kind of seriously, right?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask? What's up?"

Rouge sat more upright and with such authority, Amy thought she looked older than she is.

"Do you _really_ think you can win this thing?" She sounded so serious, it was impossible to think her mocking Amy. Not that she would, but Amy half expected her too.

Amy felt uncertain for a moment. But her brain began working furiously, and the thoughts streamed into her conscience. Like hundreds of little bell chimes ringing simultaneously, echoing into the deep corners of a dark vacant room, her thoughts rang in her mind.

'_It's just . . . the only goal in my life was to get Sonic to like me, and now that I'm over him . . . I don't have a reason to live anymore!'_

'_Are you serious Rose? Won't it be a bit embarrassing to be beaten by you ex-love interest?'_

'_I _am_ a hedgehog too and I'm tired of not having a purpose in my life anymore.'_

'_Amy, are you even prepared for this?'_

'_I don't want to make a fool of myself, Cream.'_

The voices echoed in and out of her head. For a second, she thought she was having an epiphany, until the voices finally stopped. She opened her eyes slowly, but she didn't even remember closing them. Cream looked at her worriedly, with the invitation to Rouge's party on her lap. Rouge sat patiently, waiting for Amy's answer.

Amy ran her fingers through her hair. They were now as long as she ever remembered having them, and had decided against cutting them. It was easier for her to train with it tied securely and comfortably out of her face.

Did she really want to win? Maybe, somewhere deep in the back of her head, her only intention was to beat Sonic, hoping that in some way it would help her get over him. The only problem was . . . she was already over him.

It was only right now that she considered the gravity of the question. She knew she would compete against not only Sonic, but Shadow and Silver as well. They would be ready for her, no doubt, as the news that she had entered the Olympics was no longer a secret. A lot of things were counting against her; she could not be ready in time and face a horrible defeat from all three of them; she could not even pass the trials and fall out of the competition; the fact that she was a girl also nerved her a bit.

After many minutes of thick and nerving silence, Amy finally drew breath and looked up from her lap. Her eyes carried such intensity as Cream had never seen before. That same fire of determination was familiarising its way back into her features, as Cream had seen it days before. Amy's answer didn't surprise her one bit.

"No, I don't think I can win."

Rouge's ears drooped slightly and her face bore disappointment . . . until she heard what Amy said next.

"I _know_ I can win."

The smile was so large, you'd think Amy had just given Rouge a bag full of gems. She than smirked a bit, giving her a cocky air and crossed her legs again.

"Then you've got yourself a sponsor. Congratulations Amy. You're now running for Club Rouge!"

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**A/N: Hey, this chapter was pretty random in my opinion, but important to the story none the less. Mr Petal is my own character, so he'll appear in future chapters.**

**Please give me some reviews. I need a reason to live again!**

**And I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10: Forced to Step Back

**One Step at a Time**

"_**Now you're feeling more and more frustrated . . ."**_

**Chapter Ten: Forced To Step Back**

The sun was setting and it was such a spectacular view, Amy couldn't help but forget everything else while her body relaxed. Cream was on the swings and crying playfully for Amy to come and join her. Her friend only remained in a daze.

It had been yesterday that Rogue had come to visit her, and she remembered being in her wits after the bat left the house. Amy had a sponsor. _She_ had a sponsor.

Less doubts now surrounded her, and it feels like a new motivation. And quite frankly, Amy was relieved that it was someone she knew personally. It was better to be backed by someone you trusted.

'_Holy friggen crap. I have a sponsor!'_

Sighing in a dreamy voice, Amy relaxed back into her favourite park bench. It was beginning to grow on her as she often found herself ending up right here. Cream was still swinging and laughing, Amy felt like joining her for the first time (The laughing, not the swinging).

Even wit the first weeks of training behind her, Amy felt partially exhausted. She was so stiff and she was sure it ging to be like that for another few days.

"Amy," Cream said, out of breath, and plopped next to her best friend on the bench. "Why are you always thinking so much these days?"

"Because," Amy countered, shifting into a comfortable position. "A lot is happening _these days_. I'm just so occupied all the time. My mind is just always busy and I'm nervous about the future."

"Woah, okay. Confession time, then."

"Oh, shut up."

"Just kidding. But seriously, why are you so nervous? Your training's been going great and you've really improved! There's no need to worry. And I seriously think you're going to turn some heads."

Amy smiled at her friend and silently thanked her for the support.

"I'm serious Amy. You're like lightning!"

Amy nodded thoughtfully. "That may be true, but is lightning faster than thunder?"

"Hey, no need to get all philosophical."

"Bless you."

"Touché."

A pleasant silence entered and both friends enjoyed the silence of their surroundings together. The park was completely deserted, and it surprised Amy. The town was as busy as ever, what with the preparing for the upcoming Olympics.

The mayor had announced last night on the six o'clock news that the new Mobius Olympic Stadium was to begin construction next week. The stadium was huge by the plans they had shown and was supposed to seat seventy thousand.

'_Seventy thousand people could be watching me,_' Amy thought with thrill and anxiety. The thought made her nervous. What worried her more, was whether she_ would_ ever get to compete in front of such a massive number of spectators.

Her training was still on perfect schedule and even her body seemed to be adjusting to the intense exercising it had to put up with. Amy was even starting to enjoy the ice-baths a little, finding that if she kept her neck warm, the cold the lower part of her body experiencing the burning sting of the ice, wouldn't be that noticeable to her. And she had even gotten faster! Shadow would be proud of her.

Yep, Cream was right all along. Who'd have guessed?

Amy mentally sighed and watched as Cream started on the swings again, after leaving her friend on the bench with her thoughts.

She hadn't spoken to Shadow in a while now. In fact, she hadn't spoken to a lot of her friends these days, being busy with training, working, training, resting and training and all that. The only people she'd really been talking were that of her trainer and her sponsor.

Neither Sonic nor Tails had made any effort to come in contact with her, and neither did she to them. She wondered for a moment what he would say to her if she went up to Sonic and told him that she was going to beat his sorry butt.

A chuckle escaped at the thought. Yeah, that would sure puncture his ego.

But there was still the formal gathering at Club Rouge's coming up, and Amy couldn't help but frown at the thought.

Silver, Blaze, Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles and probably Tails would be there as well. She felt a bit guilty for thinking it, but she wasn't in a mood to put up with them right now. Sure, they were her friends, but some small feeling in her gut told her that they were still competition. Well, maybe not Tails, but either way.

Amy jumped when she felt something vibrate strongly against her leg and looked down to find her phone ringing. Sliding the phone out of her jean's pocket, she flipped it open at her ear.

"Hello?"

"_Good afternoon, am I speaking with Amy Rose?"_

"Yes, this is her. Can I help you?"

"_My name is Jerry Spikes, senior director and correspondent manager of the Mobius Olympic Alliance. I'm calling to inform you of the upcoming Olympic Trials,"_ said the voice through the phone. He spoke quite professionally and Amy couldn't help but get a bad feeling off the professionalism coming from her phone's speaker.

"I have been informed about it," Amy explained and Cream had now come to sit next to her, upon seeing her on the phone.

"_Yes, well, the date has been changed. The trials shall now be held on the thirtieth."_

Amy almost let the small cellular device slide out of her hand and her face froze completely, showing horror to the 90st degree.

The 30th.

That was a month earlier that the original date. _A whole month._

"Why was it changed?" Amy asked in what she hoped was a composed voice. Her anger was boiling up inside her, trying very hard not to shout this poor man into a coma.

"_The preparations for the Olympics have been refined early on. All respective trails are now to be held earlier than planned so the competition can initiate. We are sorry if this causes any complications."_

"But some of the athletes are not ready yet! Some of us are still in training!"

"_I don't see how that is my problem Ms Rose, but if you fail to show up at the trials, you will be disqualified from the competition. Good day."_

"But you can't-"

It was too late. He had already hung up on her and slowly, Amy removed the beeping phone for her ear and dropped it next her. Cream poked her side curiously.

"What is it Amy? Who was that?"

"It was this guy from the Mobius Olympic Alliance."

"The what?"

Amy's fists clenched together in rage and frustration. Somehow, the name left a bad tastein her mouth and it couldn't help but upset her even more.

"_The Mobius Olympic Alliance. _He said the trials are going to be held a month earlier."

Cream's eyes grew wide. "But we're not ready yet!"

"You don't think I know that?!" Amy snapped and stood up from the bench. Furious, she picked up her phone and flung it into the air as hard as possible. It hung in the air for a few moments, until gravity finally caught up with it, and it plummeted uselessly to the ground, until it finally crushed at the impact it made with the ground.

Tears of disappointment and anger fell down Amy's face aimlessly, and she fell tback on the bench hopelessly.

She couldn't do it. She didn't have enough time. She wasn't prepared. What could she do? She had to show up to the trails. People would think she was a coward and chickened out. But she couldn't show up either. She'd lose _so far_ and _so bad._

"Amy, look at me."

The saddened girl looked next to her find herself in her best friend's eyes. They held such a rare old trace of wisdom; Amy couldn't help but be entranced.

"You. Are. _Not_. A. Quitter."

She forced ever word through her throat, shaking Amy's shoulder with each syllable. Amy just stared, but the tears kept coming.

"Amy," the bunny sighed, shaking her head a bit. "If it's one thing I've learned from you, it's that you can do anything you set your mind to. You don't need to be the fastest to prove yourself, because at the end of the day, all you have to win back is you pride. You need to get your mind on the same track as your goals. You entered the Olympics to show that you are somebody. Well, you know what somebody is to me?"

The hedgehog only shook her head.

"Somebody who shows pride, power and passion in everything they do. Amy, that's all you need. You don't need to win to be a winner. Because, you know what? Don't try to be a runner with success. Just try to be one with value."

Amy didn't know how Cream did it, but with a sudden hope and a familiar rush of thrill, the same excited feeling spread through her, and the sun setting never looked as beautiful as it did now.

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**A/N: Also a short chapter, but it's one of my favorites. And CREAM KICKS ASS! And who's this strange Alliance guy and what the hell is up with that dancing clown?**

**Oh wait, there wasn't one. What the hell is up with that?**

**Review!**

**Oh, and I don't own Sonic the hedgehog or the characters.**

**Again, REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11: Step it Up

**One Step at a Time**

"**And you're getting all kind of impatient . . . waiting . . ."**

**Chapter Eleven: Step It Up**

Slightly groaning at the intense but recognizable burn in her muscles, Amy gracefully set the weight down on the ground. The music that was playing in the gym was the best that Amy had ever heard and she sat down for a while to listen to it, when a towel hit her in the face.

"Are you done with all three sets?"

Removing the sweaty towel from her head, Amy playfully scowled at her trainer, but then smirked in a cocky manner that much resembled Shadow.

"Yep."

Cream only huffed and then turned around to pick up a water bottle next to a gym bag. Both had the same logo, sported in bright neon purple and black letters. The equipment proudly read, 'Club Rouge'.

After handing Amy the cold bottle with ice filled to the brim, she went to the bag and extracted a curious-looking blue and white folder with many papers in it. Setting next to the sweating hedgehog on the ground, she opened the folder and began to search through the documents furiously.

"What's that Cream?" Amy asked, peeking over her shoulder to see her place all the paper in an alphabetical order.

"These," Cream stated, moving more documents out of the folders and placing them in heaps, "Are your registration documents from the MOA. I took the liberty of fetching them from their office when I went to get your test details."

Amy flinched a lot throughout the speaking of these words. The certain ones that didn't appeal to her were, 'MOA' and 'test'.

Apparently, when you're entering an international competition, you have to give a sample of your urine for testing, to ensure no illegal substances are being used to influence the athlete's performance. Amy had almost fallen over flat on her face when she heard this. Not only was it completely impersonal, in her opinion, but absolutely unprofessional. When she had said this to Cream, the bunny only told her to 'shut up and get over it'.

Not only that, but Amy had to beg Cream not to send her to the physiotherapist again. The woman who had done her last time was _huge_ and when Amy first saw her, she had thought her to be man (what with the moustache and bolding muscles).

Every session was an hour in hell. Not only did the woman almost snap her legs by the force she put into it, but Amy was suffering from a rash at the woman's inelegance. She frowned at the thought.

And not only was she still forced to go to those wretched sessions, but she also got the 'shut up and get over it' thrown i her face again.

"Listen to this," Cream said with a laughing smile. "_'Every athlete competing in a team event must create their own biased flag as to symbolize the team's participation._'"

The track runner looked thoughtful. "I wish I could have my own flag."

Cream looked at her with interest. "You know, on earth, the flag represents the country you came from and when you enter the stadium, the captain of the team gets to hold it for the people to see."

"Cool." Amy grinned. She knew she'd never want to work on something like this in a team. This was something a bit more personal. But she thought it to be enlightening the way humans from all over the world came together for this one thing. It fascinated her to no end.

"Get up," Cream ordered with stern authority and Amy obliged at once. She had grown a new found respect for her best friend, having convinced her to get back into the game and not worry about the upcoming trials. Amy actually felt a bit better about the situation. This way, she wouldn't have to wait so long. And besides, it's not like she was the only athlete who wasn't ready yet.

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Knuckles roared as the builder crashed under the impact of his fist. The rocks spattered like water on glass and for a moment he was showered in dust. When the dust cleared up, it revealed a bright red echidna, standing in a fighting stance.

Sonic, who was watching from his seat on another rock, snickered. "Geez, you really know how to put on a show."

The echidna shot him a nasty look, cracking his knuckles in a dangerous way. Sonic wasn't too intimidated.

"Why are you here Sonic? Don't you have training to do? The trials are only in a few weeks," Knuckles asked impatiently while he moved over to the next large boulder.

The blue hedgehog shrugged. "I've gone training twice today. I'm giving myself a break, you know?"

His friend only huffed and proceeded to crush the next boulder in his way, causing it to shatter and pile smaller pebbles around.

"You're getting too lazy these days. And a bit cocky too."

"Whatever."

"I'm serious Sonic," said Knuckles firmly. "It's like you're getting to big for your shoes."

"That's why I'm training without them. Duh."

"Ugh."

Knuckles turned his back on his arrogant friend. But he was only worried. He'd noticed a change in Sonic; no too drastic, but he seemed so much more distracted these days. Clenching his fist tightly, Knuckles proceeded to crush another boulder with an impeccable force.

"Have you heard anything from Amy?"

Knuckles turned away from the pile of dust to stare at his friend. "Amy? No, I haven't seen her since she came to visit Rouge a week or so ago. Why do you ask?"

"What were you doing at Rouge's?" Sonic asked with a grin that suggested something else. Knuckles blushed furiously, and it was so bright, you could actually see it on his blood red skin.

"It's rude to answer a question with a question."

Sonic barked out a laugh. "Yeah, whatever. I guess I was just curious. I haven't seen her in days, almost weeks. And I just can't believe she's over me ye'know? I mean, sure she was a bit of a pest, but she's never avoided me before."

"Yeah, well, I doubt that she's been avoiding you, Sonic," said Knuckles and leaned back into another one of the huge boulders. He crossed his arms and looked at his friend sternly. "Rouge's sponsoring Amy."

"No way! Amy got a sponsor? _Before I did?!"_

This time, it was Knuckles who laughed. "Jealous of _Amy_ this time, pal? You've got serious issues."

Sonic only scowled but didn't reply.

"Rouge's been telling me how hard Amy's been training these days. You're not the only one who doesn't see her. When she's not working, she's training. And when she's not training, she's resting."

"Why is she taking this competition so seriously?" Sonic exclaimed finally standing up and throwing his arms up into the air. "And why doesn't she go for another sport? Why _mine_?"

"Technically, the sport doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the MOA," stated Knuckles calmly, still leaning against the boulder.

"The who's a what now?"

"The Mobius Olympic Alliance. It's they who have been planning this thing for months. They were also the ones who decided that the Trial's date's been changed."

Sonic only huffed. "Sound like a bunch of old guys who make up all the rules."

Knuckles put his hand to his chin and pretended to think for a second. "Yeah, that's pretty much spot on."

The red echidna stepped away from the boulder and went to sit next to his companion. Both of them sighed simultaneously, shoulders hunching as they did.

"Hey, did you hear who Amy's trainer is?" asked Knuckles with a grin.

"No, who?"

"Cream."

"You _are _kidding _me_."

"Nope. And apparently she's got her under a strict wing too. They both worked on Amy's training schedule together. Rouge tells me it's pretty good."

Sonic huffed and crossed his legs on the ground. He played with some dirt and remained silent for a moment. Knuckles left him with his thoughts.

"Hey, uh, Knucks?"

"Don't call me that, and yeah?"

Sonic looked up into the clear blue sky and couldn't help but get lost in the colour. While he spoke, he could feel a strange feeling creeping up in his chest, and it scared him.

"Not that I care-"It was obvious in his tone of his voice to Knuckles that he really did care, "-but why she stop loving me?"

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**A/N: Hey, Zee here. Sorry, it's a little short.**

**Please leave your reviews. I'm begging you with tears in my eyes. Really, it's not that hard! A monkey could do it!**

**JUST PRESS THE REVIEW BUTTON!**

**Critisism is MORE than welcome. Bring on the FIRE!!**

**Your opinion is ALSO MORE than welcome.**

**Also, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog OR the characters.**

**Thank you.**


	12. Chapter 12: A Bump in the Journey

**One Step at a Time**

"_**We live and we learn . . ."**_

**Chapter Twelve: A Bump on the Journey**

The bar was nearly empty, almost completely vacant. But the corners were so much filled with darkness, it would pretty easy to miss someone sitting there. At the counter, a few men gave futile attempts to drink their worries and troubles away. The only thing they were getting was one hell of a headache in the morning.

The bartender was a bear, and a huge one at that, a thick grey moustache on his stern and glaring face. He wiped a glass with a cloth and almost seemed to be doing it without faltering once.

He kept the corners of the room well in his sight, his years of experience in running a bar making it easy to spot the troublemakers. In the farthest corner sat a lonely passed out hooker, dozily slumped over the table her drink was spilled over.

In the corner next to the counter sat two shady men. He specifically kept his eyes mostly on them, immediately ruling them out as the tonight's trouble.

In the last corner, the one closest to the entrance, sat a hooded figure. His face couldn't be made out due to the intense darkness surrounding its hood. He also seemed like trouble to the bartender, but doubted it. The strange person hadn't ordered any alcohol and strangely enough, (and never in his years of wiping beer glasses had he heard this before), requested for a glass of water.

After thoroughly scrutinizing his bar, he placed the clean glass he'd been wiping on the dirty and sticky counter, and turned to the shelves filled with whiskey, beers, cocktails and all sorts of alcoholic beverages.

While the bartender was occupied with his stock, the hooded figure in the corner stirred a bit, unnoticed by the bear. His hood slightly tipped back to reveal a small creamish snout consisting of a small round black nose.

Without warning, the knocked out hooker suddenly slid off the table and slumped to the floor, not moving in the slightest.

The figure's eyes snapped open instantly, two glowing crimson eyes creeping from under the hood.

Shadow mentally snorted. 'Really, what a pathetic excuse for a bar.'

Seriously, this place was more depressing than working on Saturdays. The Ultimate Life form smirked at his joke, and his lips could be seen tugging from under the hood.

After a few more minutes of sitting in the corner and trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, the hedgehog started to get a little impatient. The person he was meeting was supposed to be here ten minutes ago.

Debating on whether or not he should leave, a sudden creak caught his ears' attention. He turned to the source of the sound and found another figure, similarly dressed to himself walk through the doors.

'Finally,' Shadow thought, and as if the other figure heard him, turned towards the table where the other sat, strode over and made himself comfortable in the chair across the hedgehog that had arranged to meet with him.

"You're late," Shadow remarked, picking up his water to take a sip.

"You're impatient," the figure countered and removed his hood to reveal wild silver quills rooted up straight. "Sonic slowed me down. He's been bugging me a lot these days."

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the mention of the guy he hated the most. "The faker bothers everyone these days. Including the echidna, the bat and your cat friend, he pisses a lot of people off."

Silver crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is turning into a nuisance, but I'm guessing you didn't call me here to talk about Sonic."

"You are correct," the red and black hedgehog stated, now also removing his hood to reveal the wild spiky quills. "I considered inviting the faker as well, because it sort of concerns him too, but I figured the matter at hand wouldn't be prudent enough for him to handle when he is in his current emotional state."

"Agreed," Silver muttered, laying back into his chair. "Now what is 'the current matter at hand'?"

Glancing around the room to find if anyone could be eavesdropping, Shadow leaned more onto the table and signalled for Silver to come closer as well.

"You have been informed of the MOA of the Trial's changes date?"

"Yeah," he said uncertainly, "But what-"

"Let me finish," hissed Shadow through his teeth, shotting a few more fleeting looks around the bar. "And you remember what I said to you about the divisions' changes when we were signing up for the Trials?"

Silver did not say anything, but merely nodded and listened curiously. When Shadow had asked to meet up with him, he had eerily been specific about the place and time. Thinking of it as an emergency, Silver agreed to meet up without question or quarrel. Also, somewhere in the back of his mind, he enjoyed Shadow's company somewhat, finding him an interesting character to converse with.

"This all didn't happen by chance," his companion explained darkly. "I've been doing some research and I found out something quite interesting about the MOA."

He paused and Sliver took it as the signal to speak again.

"What? What is it?"

"They're humans."

Almost falling off of his chair, Silver sat up in shock. "Humans?!"

"Keep your voice down," Shadow urged roughly, spiking a quick flash of his eyes over Silver's shoulder. "Apparently, the original Alliance had consisted of Mobians. But a few weeks after the competition was to begin, earth had to be contacted in order to receive details on the stages that had to be followed to get the Olympics on board."

"What?" Silver mouthed, leaning in on the table again. "Where did you hear that?"

"I'm not finished. So, when the earthlings were gotten into touch with, they offered to come and help with the organisations. They sent over their Olympic specialists, and they helped adjust the sports to our kind and species. For a reason that is still unknown to me, the original Alliance were relieved from their duties as chairmen of the board and the humans have been in charge ever since."

Silver remained silent and Shadow looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, _now _I'm finished."

"Shadow, why are you telling me all of this?"

Much to his dismay, Shadow sighed gruffly, softly face-palming himself.

"Because, you overgrown land-walking silver sea star, they're here for us hedgehogs!"

"Ah," the futuristic hedgehog observed, nodding his head. "You left that part out."

Shadow frowned and downed his water impressively, finally slamming the glass on the table.

"Why?" his companion inquired, staring down at the table, shocked at the information he had received.

"Think of it. What do humans want more than anything in the world?"

Silver pondered for a second. "Money?"

"No."

"Sex?"

"No."

"World Domination?"

"Try again."

". . . Food?"

Another face-palm and so hard this time that you could actually hear the smack, hit Shadow. Why did he socialize with this guy again? He guessed it was because his stupidity made him feel superior to the so-called 'friendship'.

"No, you fool. Speed! _Speed_!"

Silver wrinkled his face in confusion. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, now shut the hell up, and listen to me. The fastest beings in the Universe are the hedgehogs and the current MOA are aware of that. Imagine the chaos if they controlled speed like ours."

"Shadow, it would be impossible for them to control us," the other argued, resting is elbows on the table.

"Of course. I am aware of that, but they have no need for us in a physical way. Our speed is in our genes and the humans have the ingeniousness and means of separating our speed core from our DNA."

"And, I am guessing, that they are also capable of fusing other genes with their own?"

"That, I am still not sure of."

It became silent for a second after that. For the first time since Silver's arrival, Shadow became aware of his surroundings again. The bartender was behind the counter again, wiping another glass with his cloth. The hooker remained on the floor, lifeless and not moving a muscle, and the two men in the opposite corner was conversing softly.

"Shouldn't we tell Amy?"

His attention was brought back to hedgehog sitting across him. Shadow stared at him meaningful.

"I think that would be fair enough. She is the most vulnerable among us and would be in the weakest position for an approach. But let's not give her more information than needed. Needless to say, losing her focus right now would result I an inevitable emotional breakdown. We'll tell her together after the Trials, which, I am sure, she will pass with ease."

Silver nodded in agreement and acknowledgement then stood up, knowing this was the end of the conversation. Before turning around to leave, he pulled up his hood once more and looked at Shadow.

"What about Sonic?"

The other only huffed. "We will tell him once he has come to terms with his damn feelings. I'm sick of him constantly bugging people just because he can't see what's right in front of him."

Silver, once more, nodded in agreement, and with an unspoken farewell, turned and left the bar, leaving behind a curious air.

Shadow sighed once he had disappeared through the doors.

'I hope I'm wrong about all this.'

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**A/N: Oh, yeah! This was really fun to write! I know a few things are still unclear but they will be revealed when the time is right. (I love fortune cookies…)**

**Anyhow, please review! I need at least two before I'm going to start writing again. I'm serious, why are you people so lazy?**

**Also, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog OR the characters**

**Some of you may have noticed the difference in the previous chapters. I've improved them!**

**Now I need reviews. A lot. As in . . . A LOT**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Thank you.**


	13. Chapter 13: Put On Your Shoes

**One Step at a Time**

"_**. . . to take on step at a time . . . there's no need to rush . . ."**_

**Chapter Thirteen: Put On Your Shoes**

**Amy Rose**

Time flies by so rapid these days, when I bothered to check the calendar again, it was already a week before the First Elimination round. My nerves were done by Monday afternoon. The trials were on Saturday, and I was hoping to train as hard as ever this week. Cream only shook her head at this.

"No, Amy," she had rebuked me, more stern as I've ever known her to be. "You keep it intense until Wednesday, but after that we've got to tune it down a bit. If you work yourself to death, your body will be exhausted and tired out when you line up for the race. Pace yourself and keep it steady."

I was angry at her for a few moments, but the truth of her words sank in after a while of being irate. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, she was absolutely right. It was even in one of the books I had borrowed from Shadow. I made a mental note to give it back to him some time.

One night, after a tiring day of intense training and after taking a welcoming shower (I was off the ice-baths for a while); I had consoled myself to a book. The only reading I have been doing these days, was the mother of a library borrowed from the 'Ultimate Life form' and I thought it would be nice to get my mind off of athletics at least for one night.

Already in my pyjamas, I snatched the book off of my pillow that I had selected for the night, and comfortably settled myself on my mushy bed. Honestly, I thought this would be fun.

I threw the book away after the first passage of reading. What a bore . . .

Feeling discouraged because of my book idea backfiring, I sighed derisorily. Bored and slightly irritated, I crossed my arms tightly, feeling like a child again. I had the sudden inspiration to call Cream, desperate for company. She had already gone back home. I guessed she probably felt I needed my space this week.

What I pretty much needed now was someone to talk to.

It was still early, a full two hours before the curfew Cream had set up for me. But I was too awake and I had to tire myself out some way. Hadn't I trained my guts out this afternoon? Why wasn't I feeling worn-out?

After a few more moments of thinking, I finally came up with something to do. It was something I had already done several times, but it was so invigorating, doing it again wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

Jumping of my bed, immediately crouching down to slide at least four different boxes from under the mattress, I set them down on my covers and excitedly opened them up.

The first was a normal brown shoebox, the words 'To Amy, love Rouge' scribbled in neat curvy letter on the side. Inside between dozens of papers and protective covers, laid the most beautiful shoes I had ever seen; Spikes to be exact. Black and bright pink thunderbolts were on each side, almost glowing in pride. The front of the shoe had no laces, but a strong impenetrable zip. Above the zip, also in bright pink neon letters stood the pompous name of my sponsor. Under the shoe, screwed on tightly, were sharp pointed steel spikes, possessing an almost dangerous air.

I placed the spikes neatly and carefully in the box after examining them for what I can only guess was the tenth time. Fondly, I stroked the sleek leathery surface. These were my Trial's shoes, in other words, the shoes I was going to run in for the Trials (duh).

When Rouge brought me these boxes, I had been out of my wits. Never had I ever gotten things for free, and I couldn't help but almost cry when she opened up for me to see what was inside.

Three pairs of spikes, and they were all mine. The most beautiful shoes I had ever laid my eyes upon. If I was going to lose this thing, at least I'd get to lose in style. I have no idea how Rouge pulled it off, but I was in love with everything she gave me. Part of me felt bad and a bit under pressure. These things were clearly made for a winner. Wether I was a winner, I was still not sure of.

But Rouge didn't stop at the shoes. The outfit I had to run in was the coolest thing you could imagine. It was the same as my training outfit. You know the black crop top with the ski-pant? It was just way cooler . . .

It was still black, only with a few modifications. The ski-pant had the same two neon thunderbolts going down at the sides that were also featured on my spikes, and on the left thigh was my name, also in pink. On the crop top was the logo of Rouge's Club, largely and attractively printed on the chest.

I got to say, I was more than mildly impressed. The outfit was already hanging in my closet. And I had two spare ones, in light shining neon purple and plain white, and two extra pairs of spikes to match.

It was hard, to constantly remind myself that I hadn't been simply been given these things as gifts. I had to keep reminding myself about the contract I had signed with Rouge, only a few days after she told me she would be my sponsor. The contract wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had one condition only, and that was to advertise and promote Club Rouge whenever I won or caught the crowd's attention. I had to fully support the Club and not go to any other club or hang-out (not that I knew any other). This part hadn't really bothered me. I preferred Rouge's club anyway, wether the contract said I had to or not.

After receiving shoes and a running uniform, you'd think Rouge would stop at that.

If you _did_ think that, than you need to catch up on your reading.

I was given towels, water bottles, bags, socks, sneakers, a hat, a rain jacket and several tracksuits and all of them had my name and Club Rouge's logo printed on it. I accepted it all, feeling dreadful.

"Please, honey, you deserve it, with all the hard work you've been doing!" Rouge assured me when I told her I couldn't take it. "Besides, I didn't pay much for it. Some of this stuff I got for free!"

I only smiled and nodded and Cream had stacked it all up in my closet, my wardrobe had now practically doubled.

With another reason to actually prove myself, I was as determined as ever dominate this competition. My speed was now at the highest that it has ever been and I have never felt faster in my life. It was a great feeling. A feeling that made me felt good about starting this thing in the first place. It was also a nice motivation, to know I can get so fast in so little time. Cream and I went through the gap analysis that we had constructed together the week we created my training program, and after comparing my current speed level with my previous one, found that it had almost doubled. We both nearly fell over when we checked the results.

After what felt like an hour of thinking, I picked up all the boxes after examining my prized spikes and put them away. I was till kneeling on the ground and felt the carpet already leaving marks on my knees. I stood up, feeling more tired than I did a while ago.

I climbed up my bed, crawling over to the picture frame that stood on my nightstand. It was a picture of Sonic and me, me hugging him from behind and him giving a thumbs-up with a wink. That was actually a hug he saw coming.

I was reluctant to throw away the picture and in the end decided against it. I didn't give up on Sonic; I merely gave up on my feelings for him. As I stared at the picture whilst hugging my pillow, I couldn't help but miss him. I hadn't seen him in such a long time and I hadn't dared to go and visit him. Part of me was scared that the same feelings I used to have for him would come rushing back once I saw him again, and throw me off focus for the Olympics.

But he was still my friend and whether I admitted it or not, it was unfair for me to let him down like this. We had been through a lot together, and it made me feel guilty for knowing that he was always there for me . . . and now I wasn't there for him.

Rouge had told me about Sonic's emotional status and I couldn't help but worry a great deal. Knuckles had told her about his behaviour, but I wasn't completely sure what was wrong.

Sighing again, I turned my eyes away from the photo and switched off my lamp that stood next to it. While lying in the darkness, waiting for slumber to infiltrate me, I hoped, where ever he was, that he was okay.

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**A/N: Hi everybody! Some of you may have noticed, but the story has changed a bit. I combined the first two chapters to create chapter one, so every chapter had to move one back. Example, chapter three became chapter two, chapter eleven became chapter ten ect.**

**Also, the coolest thing ever happened! ****Croc'Sushi****, a fellow reader, loved my story so much; he/she CATUALLY DREW SOMETHING FOR THE STORY!! **

**Here's the link: ****http://silencix./art/One-Step-At-A-Time-137400166**

**So this chapter is for you, Croc'Sushi! Thank you so much!**

**And please review! Seriously, I don't get much these days, and I'm starting to wonder whether I may be the last person on earth because of the few reviews I have.**

**REVIEW!!**

**Also, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog OR the characters.**


	14. Chapter 14: Change in Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**It's not like learning to fly . . . or falling in love . . ."**_

**Chapter Fourteen: Change of Steps**

**Sonic the Hedgehog**

I'm fine! Really, why is everyone bugging me these days? Seriously, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine! I'm just a bit stressed I guess. I mean, the Trials are in less than a week. Sure, I'm the fastest thing alive, but I am allowed to be nervous. Really, _I'm fine!_

But nobody believes me. Everyone thinks I'm going crazy, but honestly enough, I can't blame them. I don't know why, but my head feels so clogged these days, like I can't process all my thoughts thoroughly, so it all gets stuck and over flows. Come to think of it, my head _does_ feel like a toilet right now.

Woopty doo for the shit-head.

Training is all that helps, though. When I'm training, I don't need to think about anybody or anything, only me and what _I'm_ doing. That's why running exists; to get your mind off things and feel the wind in your quills.

But I can only train _that_ much, until my body finally gives up on my as well. So, desperate to find company, I hunt down all my friends. Blaze went really bitchy on me, 'cause I interrupted her training. Seriously, I didn't know she could get that violent. So I tried getting a conversation out of her, but she (after some colourful cussing), told me to bug off and leave her alone. I ran away without hesitation. I was never that close to her anyway.

Knuckles was getting pretty tired of 'me and my attitude' and said not to come see him once I got over myself. I'm not sure what he meant by that, but he seemed kinda pissed, so I just left there too. He's probably still mad because I tease him about Rouge. Really, the guy can't take a joke.

Rouge was a bit more sympathetic at least, almost as if she understood what I was going through. And I could swear she looked friendlier these days, so I also tried talking to her. But she was so busy with all her boxes; she was barely listening to me.

Next (and I kinda hated myself for it), I tried Silver, but he was in such a hurry to get somewhere. Said he 'had a meeting'. I mean, come on, what the hell is up with that?

Ugh, I feel so alone these days. And I know this is going to sound very emo, but no one understands me at all! I tried Tails too, but the poor guy was so caught up in trying to get me another sponsor. He himself was already sponsoring me, but he felt another wouldn't hurt, so the little guy's been trying to score me another deal. Good friend, that Tails . . .

I've considered going to Amy, but would she be happy to see me? I mean, she got over me right? She doesn't want anything to do with me right now, does she?

I'm at the flower shop right now, talking to Mr Petal. He's a good friend of mine. I am aware that this is where Amy works, but I thought since now that Mr Petal gave her off for the upcoming Olympics, I can talk to him about her.

I was sitting at the counter and he was running around with flowers and stuff in his arms. I should probably try and help him, but I knew I would just screw it up. I got the feeling business has been going down a bit now that Amy was gone.

"You need any help, Mr P?" I asked anyway, only trying to be polite. The elder smiled an old wrinkly smile at me.

"No, no my boy. I'm quite fine. Thank you for asking," he said, placing a bunch of red and yellow roses in a bucket. "Now, you wanted to speak to me?"

I nodded and grinned. Mr Petal was an old beaver, well over his fifties. He was a kind soul, one of those people who gave his extra unused pennies to the poor. Amy had been working for him since our adventures stopped. It wasn't a big place, but a homely place where a lot of people bought regularly, especially with the pink hedgehog beauty sweeping the floors.

"She talks about you a lot, my boy," said Mr Petal. "Quite too much some times, I'm afraid. Sometimes I have to send her out for an errand to put an end to it politely."

I smiled to myself. That is _so_ Mr Petal.

"I was quite sure she liked you so much," he said, arranging a bunch of orchids in a pot. "I can't quite understand how she got over a fine young fellow like you. By the way she went on about it, I was sure she'd marry you one day.

"Of course, I was always curious wether you felt the same way about her, and I warned her about it constantly. 'Be careful Ms Rose,' I told her. 'He might not feel the same way.' But she only waved it off, saying you'd come to your senses one day, believing that you two were meant to be.

"I knew this infatuation would become an obsession one day. I was sure of it. But her eyes were constantly heart-shaped, every morning when she came here. I remained patient, waiting for the day that she would get hurt. But it seems the only day that ever came was _you_ getting hurt, my boy."

He'd stopped arranging the flowers and the pot by now, and had turned to me.

"I never got hurt Mr P," I said. "I'm fi-"

"Yes, yes, I am well aware that you are _fine_, my boy," he interrupted me. He walked up to me and crossed his arms. He always wore gloves and his sleeves were always rolled up. "You are in denial. Sonic, my boy, you're confused. You have to ask yourself if you really have feelings for this girl."

"But she never gave me the chance to-"

"You have a chance now," he said uncrossing his arms, and he shrugged. "You've had quite some time to think it over, but you are afraid that if you come up with a conclusion for your feelings, that she would not feel the same, whatever the outcome."

My head fell down, and I knew the old man was speaking wise words . . . and that they were the truth. But it was so hard, to admit how I felt about her. I wasn't even sure myself.

Mr P looked at me meaningful, eyebrows raised. I grinned, and nodded. He gave an old weary smile, his eyes almost closing at his rising cheeks.

"Now, tell me my boy, how is the training coming along?" he asked and turned around to busy himself once more in the buckets full of flowers.

"Pretty good," I admitted. "The trials are next Monday."

He raised his head at this news.

"Next Monday, you say? That's well around the corner! Are you ready?"

"More than I've ever been, sir."

"That's good. Anymore of your friends entering?"

"My friend Knuckles is in for shot-put, javelin and discus. And three other are in for the same as Amy and me."

"Oh, who would that be, my boy?"

"Silver, Shadow and Blaze."

"Ah, the other two look-a-likes and the pretty cat. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, Amy has told me about them."

I sat up more at this and got curious.

"Really?" I asked, innocently. "What did she say, sir?"

"Oh, she doesn't like the Shady fellow-"

"Shadow, sir."

"Yes, that's what I said. And the Liver chap-"

"Silver, sir."

"Yes, of course. I couldn't remember what she said about him. He once saved her from some kind of fan."

"A fan, sir?"

"Yes, she specifically told me it was a fan. And it was a big one too; by the way she described it. Now she hasn't said anything about the cat-"

"Blaze."

"Yes, but she has told me about one of her friends sponsoring her. She was quite excited when she told me. Which one was it? Wasn't it the cat?"

"It was Rouge, Mr P. She's the bat."

"Ah, yes, the one who owns the club."

"Yeah, Amy's sponsored by Club Rouge."

"Isn't it that place where you young people would, as you would say, 'hang out'?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. We have a formal party there tonight for all the athletes."

"Formal, you say! Well, I hope you have your suit picked out my boy!"

"Yes, sir."

"A blue tie, I presume?"

"Was it that obvious?"

I laughed and he chuckled. There was a slight moment of silence, just when I was starting to enjoy the conversation. Mr Petal stood up slowly from one of the buckets, groaning. He walked to the cash register and opened it up to sort out the money. It was usually Amy's job, he complained to me once, because the numbers were too small for him too read. His face wrinkled up a bit at the few bills in his hand. He sighed tiredly and put them back in the cash register. He rested his arms on the counter and I sild off to face him. He looked so sad and tired.

"Sonic, my boy," he sighed, his voice cheerless. "If business keeps up like this, I might have to close up shop."

My eyes grew wide. It would be a terrible loss to me, as this was a place I usually escaped to, whenever Amy wasn't around of course. The fact of it closing would really get me to cry. And I sort of hated crying . . .

"Why don't people come here anymore? Is it because of Amy?" I asked. I knew Amy was a big attraction for this place. A lot of men mostly came here to get a sweet smile or greeting from her. She knew all the customers names and knew every corner of the shop like the back of her hand.

"No," he said, shaking his head dejectedly. "It's been like this even before she came to work for me. I don't have the financial back-up to advertise and it gets worse ever year. This old man can't keep up with the times anymore."

His head was bent low by now, and his eyes closed. I felt terrible. There wasn't anything in particular I could do to help.

And then it hit me. It was such a great idea, I felt stupid for not thinking it earlier. I looked up at the old shop-keeper and I smiled. But there was something in my mind that told me I had to change the plan a bit. After all, I knew it would only be right if I gave it to her. And Mr Petal ought to give it to her instead.

And I knew this would mean the world to Amy.

"Don't worry Mr P. I have an idea."

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**A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while. My dog passed away yesterday. I decided to write this chapter after her. I hope she's in a better place now. She suffered a lot when she was sick.**

**Please review. I'm too sad about my Ruby. **

**I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.**

**Thank you**


	15. Chapter 15: Taking up the Steps

**One Step at a T****ime**

"_**It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen . . ."**_

**Chapter Fifteen: ****Taking Up the Steps**

Rouge was getting increasingly impatient at a dangerous pace. Not only was everything she had ordered mostly late or mixed up, but the things that _were_ on time seemed to be falling apart at the slightest touch. The club was getting decorated at her best attempt to host something formal. If anything went wrong tonight, she'd lose a lot of money, and at the moment, she really couldn't afford it. Progression was slow, much to her frustration and the light at the end of the tunnel was pretty dim by the looks of it. Her medication was starting to wear off.

"So, let me get this straight," she said into her headphone while she checked down the clipboard she was holding. "The Bartender is on his way to the club but the drinks are not. And the food is on its way to the club but the chef is not. Are . . . are . . . ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"

A few people in the dining hall cringed, some retreating as far away from the bat as possible. A pair of strong men was moving a gigantic sculpture into a corner while a few waiters and waitresses ran around sorting out the tables and seating arrangements. The Sports Gala didn't start for at least another four hours and already she wanted to call the whole thing off. And she'd have done it gladly if the pressure from the MOA hadn't been so uncompromising and intolerant. Of course, humans had always been fussy, in her opinion.

Rouge hung up on her assistant and rubbed her creasing forehead.

"I'm going to be facing a bitch of a headache tomorrow," she muttered irritably under her breath. "Hell, I'll be glad when this is over."

"Hiya Rouge," a squeaky and cheerful voice said from behind her and nearly made her jump and drop her clipboard. Hoping for some good news for the day, she turned around and faced Tails, who was holding a box in hand and a greeting beam on his features.

"Tails," she greeted, relieved. "_Please _tell me that's what I think it is." She gestured towards the box Tails had put on the table she was occupying.

"If what you're thinking is a box full of shiny diamonds . . . then no," he replied and she placed her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm afraid you're going to have to settle for some of the audio equipment you requested for instead."

Despite this being somewhat of a letdown, Rouge broke out into a thankful smile. At least one person did their job right.

"Thanks Tails. I was starting to worry I'd get wrinkles from all the frowning."

He shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm serious, thank you so much."

"No, I mean the Gala. You shouldn't worry about it," said Tails and took a seat at the table with Rouge. "I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

"You mean, besides me losing my job and ending up on street? Nothing, I guess," she replied sarcastically while throwing in a nice shrug and Tails only laughed at her disposition. "If Amy doesn't make it through the Trials, than my business is screwed."

"You wouldn't consider rather sponsoring Sonic, would you?" he asked hopefully.

"Isn't your garage already sponsoring him?"

"Yeah, but another would be a great help. So, what do you say?" He gave her an encouraging grin at his suggestion.

"And let down the sisterhood? When hell freezes over," responded Rouge confidently and Tails ears sagged to his head with a miserable sigh. "Besides, I already gave Amy a whole lot of stuff I'm pretty sure Sonic wouldn't where in public. And the poor kid's my friend too. I let her down now, and I'd face breaking our contract."

"Then I'm sure she'll make it," he assured her, bleakly, while slumping his shoulders dejectedly. "Amy's been known to surprise us all from time to time."

Rouge nodded thoughtfully. "True," she mused, rubbing her ears. "But she's changed a lot from the Amy we used to know. She's not the spunky kid I used to see skipping around with '_Brimful of Asher'_ playing in the background, anymore. It's like she's changed tunes."

"Yeah," Tails chuckled, flicking his foxtail. "To what tune's she skipping now?"

"She's not skipping anymore, kid. She's running now," admitted Rouge proudly, smirking and then leaned over with her elbows on the table. "And the song's '_It's My Life'_."

"Huh, that's kind of spot on," noted Tails, and then stood up. "Well, I'm going to set up the wiring and stuff. Need to unload a few things too. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where I'm sitting tonight, would ya?"

Rouge looked down on the clipboard. "Uh, table 32 with the rest of the coaches."

He nodded and picked up the box from the table. "Thanks." And he strode off to the stage.

The moment she stood up, Rouge's headphones rang again.

"Hello? . . . What do you mean, 'he's sick?' So the guy puked all over himself, big deal. Just hose him off and GET HIS SORRY DRUNKEN ASS OVER HERE!"

* * *

"You look fine."

"Isn't it too tight around the thighs? Maybe I should have gone with the other dress. You know . . . the one with the beads?"

"You mean that yucky orange one that covered every inch of your skin? Yeah, your grandmother called, so I sent it back."

"Don't tease."

"I'm not teasing. I'm just saying," explained Cream for the fourth time while they got ready in Amy's room. "You look _stunning."_

"Isn't it too much then?" asked Amy, turning in the mirror to look herself over again. The dress had been another gift from Rouge, who had picked it out personally and had it delivered before rushing off to settle the arrangements for the Gala.

"Can't you be one of those people who just blush, say thank you and be modest?" nagged Cream from where she sat on Amy's desk chair. "Just trust Rouge. She's organizing this whole thing. She knows what's right for it."

"Yeah, you're right," admitted Amy with a smile, turning away from the mirror. "I still don't know how she got my dress-size."

"I gave it to her."

"What? When?"

"I don't see what difference it makes in our lives if I tell you."

"Whatever then," said Amy, grinning, and went to sit down on her bed. She looked Cream over and smirked at her.

"What?" the obviously annoyed bunny snapped.

"You look beautiful, Cream," replied her friend serenely with a smile.

"Humph."

Amy sniggered. Cream really did look elegant for once in her life. Her dress was bright orange and was cut short only an inch over her knees. It sat tight around the waist and chest and had one shoulder strap on the right. Her shoes matched the color of her dress and were high-heeled. (Guess that meant, no hopping tonight.) Gracing her neck was a white collar with an orange round stone. It was simple and sweet. Just like Cream.

"Are you ready yet? Our car should be here any minute now."

Amy checked herself over again. Her dress was the standard black for most of the outfits Rouge had given her. It was strapless and incredibly comfortable and sat very secure, to be honest. It curved down with her body before splitting open at the end in the front and flowing down elegantly. The shoes were very similar to Cream's, only a bit higher with more straps. Both of them would be taking a simple jacket just in case the old winter breezes came for a visit.

Her confidence was high tonight.

"Done!"

* * *

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY!! It's been ages, I know. I totally forgot. And I know I promised a good chapter, but I just felt I owed you a normal update, just to tease you for the next one.**

**Okay, I have the right to advertise my contest here. It's a Twilight Crossover One-shot contest, for those of you that like to write those. The full details are at my profile and feel free to PM me for any more questions you might have.**

**Right, sorry. Just had to do that. I'd very much appreciate a review . . . or two . . . and half. Constructive criticism is as welcome as weenies over a fire. (Aw, man I'm funny!) That means I'm completely cool with flames.**

**Anywho, terribly sorry you had to wait so long. Thank you for being patient, and until next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16: Uh, the title? Crap

**One Step at a Time**

"_**When we find the reason why . . ."**_

**Chapter 16**

"Are you sure you will not consent to my offer? Or even consider it in the slightest?"

"I already told you, _old man._ I don't want any part in this shot-loaded plan. It's just asking for crap."

"How so?"

"Are you kidding me? Have you seen what those freaks can do?"

"Surely, dear boy, a few talking animals couldn't be _that_ powerful."

"You're a very ignorant old geezer, you know? These guys aren't like us. They don't think like us. They don't fight like us. And they most definitely don't _run like us."_

"Oh, but that much I am familiar, my dear boy. In fact, I have witnessed it on more than one occasion."

"Then you must be blind, gramps, 'cause those guys move so fast you don't even realise you _witnessed_ something, dammit."

"You appear to know much on the subject, my good lad. Enlighten me further."

"Don't mock me, pops! I hid out years here on Mobius and it took me five of those years to understand what kind of race we were dealing with here. They're normal, sure, and they have cute fluffy forest animal looks they pull off so easily. But underneath all the cutesy bullshit, there's something else. It's not the species or the family or even the race."

"Then to tell me dear boy, what is then?"

"Don't you get it?! It's the _**Genes**_, Gramps! The fucking _**Genes**_!"

"My boy, there was no need to swear."

"You just don't get it, do ya? They're not something to mess with, old man! Especially when they're at this stage in their development!"

"What ever do you mean, my good man?"

"They're at the prime of their lifetimes. They're never gonna be as fast or strong or even as smart at any other age than now. You take 'em on now, you get sucker-punched in the gut!"

"Oh, I highly doubt that, my dear boy. I have come prepared and I have studied their every move and skill for even longer than you were running around like a buffoon on this planet."

"What?! You son of-"

"I wasn't finished, my good lad. You see, what the Mobians gain from their strongest skill, they lack in their weakest skill. Those who have unimaginable strength will have low emotional expectations. Those who posses intelligence beyond any prodigy, lack not only in physical but any emotional strength as well. And those who precede with the slyness of fox, will always have a weakness waiting around the very corner he or she is sneaking about."

" . . . Get to the point, Gramps."

"My point is, Mr Prestons, is that every Mobian has a weakness, if all not the same. I think I have just about mastered that."

"And you're telling me this all this because . . .?"

"Oh, merely to tell you what you are missing out on if you decline my generous offer. I need you on board, my good boy. I would put in second-command instantly. You obviously out rank any of my other co-workers."

"You flatter me, but I already told ya. I don't want part in this. I won't stop ya. If you want to start an inter-galactic war, then by all means, be my guest. I've been getting bored with the TV here anyway."

"So sad that we won't be on the same side, Mr Prestons."

"I don't choose sides, Gramps. I only have one side. Mine."

"Very well. As you wish. Please do get in contact if you change your mind at any time. I can understand if this is all a bit . . . sudden."

"Oh, it's anything _**but**_..."

"Excuse me, my boy. I couldn't hear you."

"I said get the hell out of my house! I was trying to eat before you came barging in, making lame offers."

"I do apologise for that. You see, I wasn't sure whether you still resided here. It has been rather difficult tracking you down, Mr Prestons."

"And you found me. Good for you. Now get out."

"Again, I say, it will be a frustration not having you by my side."

"You have your whole retirement club to help you."

"Oh, but the Alliance isn't as trustworthy as you think. There are still a few Mobians among us."

"Didn't have this thought out, hey old man?"

"On the contrary, my good lad. Things couldn't be going any smoother. It will be in no time that I get what I came for."

"So if you get what you came for, what do the rest of your Alliance buddies get out of the deal?"

"Oh, merely the reward of what we gain. The profit we are going to make will be astounding. Wealthier people shall never be seen again."

"Oh, whatever. You're just bullshitting them so you can take all the profit for your own sorry ass."

"My dear boy, greedy I may be. But traitorous, never."

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that, geezer."

"I will share the formula with you, of course. If you decide to join me, that is. What you do with it, is your choice."

"Forget it. What would I do with that crap anyway? I hate being in business."

"Oh, but I can only imagine the price some scientists and even athletes are willing to pay for that type of power. You understand how popular sport has gotten on earth. Especially athletics."

"Naw, it's still too shaky. But let me ask you something, gramps."

"Mmmm?"

"All this trouble, just for some formula? I mean, come on. You're a genius, aren't you? You of all people can think of better way to scam people."

"I prefer the term, Raw Business."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm tired of this. Get the hell out already!"

"This is your last chance, boy. Forget calling me. I walk out of here now, there's no turning back. Besides, I have a very urgent meeting to attend to."

"I'm sorry. You're right. Let me think it over rationally."

_**PAUSE**_

"Nope, still don't want in. NOW GET THE FUCK OUT!"

* * *

"Good Evening and my name is Ace Bellspote, reporting here _live_ from Club Rouge for the Olympic Sport's Gala Night! It certainly is a big event and as the first guests are starting to arrive, more and more possible champions grace the red carpet! Oh, here's our first athlete!"

A sleek long lime pulled up and the bouncer quickly sprang to open the door. Many cameras clicked as the person stepped out slowly, placing one bare paw after the other.

It was a cheetah . . . or maybe a leopard. Either way, the man was _big. _He donned a black suit with a matching tie, dotted orange on black. Muscles bulged through the expensive fabric. His eyes were narrow and slitted, deathly glaring at the crowd around him. He had a hard working jaw that seemed to absently chew his tongue now and again and his tall figure towered over all present and gaping at him. He walked slowly up the stairs. Furious features held his face and a slightly out of place moustache was on his snout.

The reporter approached him cautiously, yet still with enthusiasm for his job.

"Good evening, good sir! May we know your name?"

He stopped as the reporter held his microphone up for him to speak. Slowly, his neck turned and he glared at the gulping man.

"I am Mustafa. I will destroy you," he answered simply in a deep voice and turned to enter the club, leaving the reporter stunned in place at the statement. His accent was thick and almost menacing, clearly a sign for lesser education, yet nothing you'd want to argue about, of course.

Many cars arrived, each more ostentatious and gaudy than the other. Many bouncers had to be hired for the night to keep the paparazzi at bay and under control. Luckily, only certain press was invited to the event.

Standing in the Entrance Hall with Rogue, Amy and Cream talked about the drive in the limo after their manager had asked about it.

"We had to walk the last few blocks," Cream explained, bored and evidently not bothered by the fact. Amy, on the other hand, took initiative to bop her on the head between her ears.

"Yeah, nice going Bugs Bunny. It was your fault it happened in the first place!" She shouted into her friend's long ears.

"What happened?" Rogue asked, feeling like a helpless mother. Oh, hell no, she was too young and gorgeous to be compared to that!

"Easter Island here decided to have fun with the electronic windows," Amy grumbled. Folding her arms up and glaring at the rabbit.

Rogue stared at both of them, her eyes blank and her mind disbelieving. Her shoulders dropped when they suddenly broke into a loud argument, causing many people to stare. She didn't even want to know what happened after that.

"Well, we were almost late if you hadn't taken so long in damn bathroom!"

"Me?! What about your complaining about that stupid dress?"

"I had it sorted out in seconds! It wasn't even a real issue!"

"Are you kidding me?! I swear you hid the second dress in you purse in case you wanted to change your mind!"

"You're dreaming bucko."

Twitch. Hesitant pause. Twitch. Bunny ears dropping.

"Did . . . you just call me . . . bucko? OH, I AM SO GOING HERCULES ON YOUR ASS!"

A two-person riot broke out in the hall and Rogue, panicking in embarrassment and intensified disbelief, immediately went to search for security to pull the two apart before they obliterated her entire club. A silent and stunned crowd had gathered around the pair wrestling on the ground and expensive carpet. Distracted by their brawl, Amy and Cream did not notice the camera and reporter people among the audience.

"This is Ace Bellspote, here live at the scene of two Gala attendees trying to massacre each other in broad daylight."

Both girls' ears perked up at this and instantaneously abandoned their fight to spring in front of the camera, pushing a furious crowd out of their way. The reporter turned to face the girls, grinning innocently at him while he only narrowed his eyes, knowing what they wanted.

"Excuse me young miss," he said to Amy, who beamed. "Are you one of the athletes who will be competing at the Olympics?"

"Yes! Hi, I'm Amy Rose and I'm a sprinter!" She waved at the camera nervously and a slight flushed look appeared on her cheeks.

"And you are, young girl?" He bent over and lowered his microphone to Cream, who glared at his statement.

"I'm her coach," she put bluntly, smirking in self-importance. The reporter chuckled slightly and ruffled her head.

"Of course you are, scamp."

"Uhm, excuse me, but Cream here really is my coach and fitness trainer."

The reporter and his cameraman smirked in incredulity. "Oh? Can you comment on your athlete's progress and the intensity of her program?"

Obviously trying to raid her speechless, he was quite surprised with her prompt reply.

"Certainly."

"Very well. Go on then." He was waiting for any embarrassing move or word from the bunny, pushed into the spotlight. Amy smiled when she saw Cream stand her ground spectacularly. Really, this guy had it coming for trying to pick on a kid and publicly humiliate her.

"My athlete has been training intensely for two months altogether. The first week was spent constructing her fitness program using a gap analysis as to measure her progress through ever cycle and week. Her recovery sessions are adjusted immaculately to her body strength, power and also to fit the intensity of our program.

"We follow a basic program. The first 2 weeks were used to build her up to a certain level of fitness that would accordingly suit her body and sport-type. The third week was used for test, recovery and adjustment to the program. The fourth and fifth week we built her up to an even higher level of fitness, to of course, improve her talent and skill. And, once again, another week was spent for the test, recovery and adjustment of the program and so on and so forth."

"What in-"

"We, naturally, put her on a strict diet. Her core stability had to be drastically improved and her reaction and timing was worked on as well. Do you have any more questions?"

" . . . No, only for the athlete . . . thank you . . ." His voice trailed off pathetically.

Cream bowed in smugness and hopped off while Amy shot her a knowing look. Looks like all that time spent reading finally paid off.

"Ms Rose, are you nervous about the upcoming Trials?" Amy looked back at the camera.

"Oh, I think most of us are pretty much nervous. It's part of the thrill for the sport, after all."

"Are there any of your companions or allies you will be competing against?"

"Yeah, most of my friends signed up. It'll be cool competing next to them."

"Have you attained a reliable sponsor?"

"Ah, that would be me." Amy saw Rogue remerge, two big and burly security guards flanking her. She looked as seductive and voluptuous as ever. Her arms crossed, she walked over to stand next to Amy in front of the camera and the reporters.

"Who might you be?"

"My friends call me Rogue, honey. And I'm the one hosting this event."

"You are the owner of Club Rogue?"

There was a slight pause where the girls exchanged pitying looks. Poor guy. No common sense. Rogue pursed her lips at him and smirked.

"Yes, Sherlock. And I would also like to announce that Club Rogue is the proud sponsor for the athlete, Amy Rose."

"Are you sponsoring any other-"

"No. Only her. Kindly escort this man to where the press was invited to be, gentlemen," she sweetly ordered the security guards. "This interview is over." They nodded gruffly and pushed the reporter and his cameraman away from the Entrance Hall. Rogue turned to Amy.

"Thanks Rogue. You really know how to keep your cool out there."

"It comes natural. Although, I have to say, I'm glad I saw Cream's part of the interview."

"Oh, I really have to reward her for that-"

"Fantastic show of events?" Both women turned to see formally clad Silver the Hedgehog coming through the doorway. His suit was plain black with a neat white tie. His quills still spiked all over the place though. He walked up to the pair, somewhat smiling, although looking a bit uncomfortable.

"She impressed me very thoroughly indeed," he admitted in a kind voice. "I hope we sit at the same table, Amy." He gave her grin and walked off into the Dining Hall, leaving Amy flattered and flushed.

"What an ass. He said he'd wait for me." Both girls now turned to face Shadow, and Amy was surprisingly delighted to see him.

"Hi Shadow!" He looked the same as always, except donning a very peculiar red suit with a black bow tie. It suited him nicely, though. He grunted when he saw Rogue and Amy.

"Rose . . . Rogue." And he followed after Silver into the Hall after his gruff greeting.

"Rouge! Amy!" Sighing before turning again, they faced someone different this time.

Amy felt her heart skip a beat.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, after, so, damn, long . . . I HAVE ARISEN FROM THE DEAD!!**

_**(cough)**_** Anyway, terribly sorry for the delay, but this chapter was rather difficult to write for some reason. I'd been neglecting my fics these days and I owe them as much a sorry as to you.**

**I want to update one thing before school starts again tomorrow. I could be wrong, but I think this is one of my best chapters!**

**Any reviews are welcome at all. If you do review, thanks for taking the time to do so!**

**Man, I've been working so long on this story; I can't get any more psyched out! It's TOTALLY FREAKING ME OUT MAN!!**

**Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog does not belong to me and neither do the characters (except Mustafa and Ace Bellspote . . . and the cameraman who is my favourite OC! You are awesome camera guy!)**

**Review please and have a nice day!**


	17. Chapter 17: A Hurtful Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**One step at a time…"**_

**Chapter 17: A Hurtful Step**

"Sonic!" To her complete astonishment, Amy could not have been happier to see him and rushed forward without a second's thought to give him a hug. It was very different than the usual embrace though. It lacked a certain amount of . . . enthusiasm.

Sonic, of course, was very aware of this fact, but hugged her back none the less. When she stepped back to smile at him, he had the breath knocked right out of him. The sight of her - dressed so smartly and looking so graceful and grown-up, sent an electric rush up his spine that could not compete with any adrenaline rush. Her beam actually reminded him how pretty- no, how beautiful she could truly be without trying.

He stared back, slightly gawking and was about to say something to her when he felt a yank on one of his quills. He yipped in slight pain and spun around to find Tails tapping impatiently on the ground.

"Are you done yet? They're about to start, and I have an interview arranged later tonight, so get your head straight," he ranted on while pulling Sonic on his sleeve while they entered as spectacular dining room. "Don't say anything stupid and when you forget your words, just send me a signal and I'll make a plan. Oh and why did you have me add a seat to the table?"

"I invited a special guest," his athlete responded.

"Who?"

"It's a surprise."

"Oh, god, it's not my grandmother, is it?"

Sonic sniggered. "No, but it is an elder."

"Oh, god, it's not _your_ grandmother is it?"

"Tails, I don't have a grandmother."

"Still . . . can't be too careful."

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The night progressed slowly and Amy soon found herself sitting at a table with all of her friends. Knuckles, Sonic, Shadow, Silver and even the silent Blaze were all present. It was noticeably chatty and Amy conversed happily away.

"So, how's the training coming along?" Knuckled asked her and she took a sip of water from her glass.

"Really good actually," she remarked thoughtfully. "I should probably start paying Cream for all she's doing for me."

"Do _you_ have a trainer, Sonic?" Knuckles purposely turned to his friend. The blue hedgehog eyed him shrewdly.

"No, but I have a manager," he answered, also taking a happy slurp from his glass.

"Oh, please, don't overwhelm us with your professional management system," Shadow commented dryly and both Amy and Silver burst out laughing. He smirked when he saw he got the response he wanted.

Sonic felt his cheeks redden. "Yeah? Well what do you got?"

"Everything I need," the other stated, like it was obvious. Sonic crossed his arms sceptically.

"You have a trainer then?"

Shadow didn't even blink or hesitate. "Why yes, of course I do, faker."

Everyone's head's picked up at this news and Amy turned to him from where she sat next to him.

"Really? Who?" she asked. Shadow grinned brashly at her, which made her give her own shy smile.

"Myself, obviously," he uttered affectedly and the table shared a mutual feeling of wanting to face-palm.

"How about you, Sliver?" Amy turned to the hedgehog on her other side. "Do you have a trainer?"

He shook his head and his eccentric spikes bounced. "No, I train alone as well."

Amy then addressed the entire table. "Does anybody here except me have a trainer?"

There were a few moments of silence before Blaze and Knuckles shook their heads. Amy crossed her arms leaned back, looking sullen.

"Figures." The conversation didn't really pick up from there.

Cream sat with the other coaches, Tails included, but mostly a few strangers. The two youngsters kept each other company for the most part.

Amy had to give Rouge credit for how the place looked. You couldn't even tell it was a club. The walls were covered with black and white drapes and a few silver-sprayed shimmering stars hung from the ceiling. The disco ball was still intact and was sparkling lively. Each table was set magnificently, silverware and all. Amy stared at the cutlery set down for her, puzzled.

Why was there more than one knife?

The lights soon dimmed before she could think about it any further and the attention was brought to the front. Noticing a long table stretching from one side of the room to the other, Amy's eyes followed every person occupying it.

Every _human_ occupying it . . .

There was a restless shuffle and whispers and mutters broke out through the room. The crowd became fidgety. From next to her, Amy heard Shadow growl. She turned her head to look into his sour, disgusted expression.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" she asked and Shadow crossed his arms without looking at her, only glowering at the table at the front.

"Do you know who those humans are?" He jerked his head roughly in their direction and Amy only shook her head. The darker hedgehog snorted.

"The stinking Alliance," he grumbled, dismayed by their presence and Amy only stared in surprise at the old, tall and grey human centred at the table. He stood up slowly and the hall instantly silenced. The lights blacked out and a spotlight fell on his crooked figure. His moustache was very easy to make out, along with his small bowler hat and sharp chin. He grinned at the audience and leaned into the microphone set before him.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he wheezed out in a voice that sent mild shivers down Amy's neck. "And welcome to the first ever formal Olympic gathering on Mobius. This is truly history in the making."

Amy heard Shadow snort again, or perhaps it was Sonic. Either way, she felt the agitation surround the occupants of her table. Was it just her, or did this guy just seem a bit . . . creepy?

A polite applause broke out for the elderly man and he raised his shrivelled hand kindly with a satisfied grin.

"As the official Head Chairman of the Mobius Olympic Alliance, I, Edgar Olsten, declare these games OPEN!" his voice boomed and echoed for effect. Amy felt her ears twitch at the sudden outburst, along with any other Mobian who had sensitive ears.

There was a tremendous applause which carried on for more than just a few seconds. The hall soon filled with whistling and cheering from every side and Amy heard Sonic howl. A giggle escaped her mouth.

A few more speeches and formalities followed after that, along with a racked-out protocol of all the athletes present. Dinner was served, along with desert, which most people skipped. Amy was about to dig in to her own piece of apple pie when a hand smacked her over the head. The whole table stared at Cream standing behind her chair with interest.

"Ow! " Amy turned around in her seat furiously. "What the hell, Cream?"

Her trainer picked up the apple pie and placed it on the tray of a passing waiter, who took it into the kitchen. Everyone at the table erupted into sniggers. Amy stood up from her seat.

"Why?"

Cream crossed her arms. "You almost ate two and a half training sessions of hard work away," she pointed with the authority of a high school teacher. Amy heard Sonic muffle his laughter with difficulty. Cream left Amy in a state of spite, while she watched everyone eat a nice piece of apple pie.

"Here," said Shadow and pushed his untouched plate to her. "I don't want it."

Amy looked down at the plate and curiously glanced at the other hedgehog. His face was still as stoic and annoyed as ever. She didn't get where his sudden burst of kindness to her was coming from.

"Uh, thank you," she responded, and happily ate the treat. Of course, this hadn't gone unnoticed, by either Silver or Sonic. Shadow only smirked when he felt their glares on his smug face – Amy didn't take note of this.

The hall soon emptied until their table was the only one left occupied and Sonic soon found himself glancing at his watch now and again out of anxiety. Tails and Cream soon dragged their chairs closer and made themselves comfortable with the rest. Cream pushed herself between Silver and Amy and the Silver reluctantly made space for her. Rogue was nowhere to be found.

Tails noticed Sonic's anticipation. "What's up?" he muttered to his friend.

"He's not here yet," Sonic remarked worriedly and Tails blinked.

"The elder you invited? Maybe he got caught up somewhere."

Sonic sighed and his eyes shot to Amy, who was chatting away cheerfully with Cream . . . who was unaware of the dessert occurrence. Amy's phone rang loudly and everyone's head shot to her. Slightly embarrassed, she took it out of her purse, and stood up to answer it.

She barely walked away for a few seconds before a look of utter revulsion and horror spread across her face. Suddenly, she broke out into sobs and collapsed unto the floor on her knees.

Sonic, Shadow and Cream reacted instantly and was by her side in a flash.

"Amy? Amy? What is it? What's wrong?" Cream asked frantically, shaking her shoulders. She cried loudly into Cream's shoulder and Shadow took it upon himself to pick up her dropped phone.

"Who is this?" he snapped into the phone and there was a silent pause, where only Amy's miserable and loud cries could be heard. Shadow's face slightly paled. "I see." And he hung up.

The entire table was now circled around Amy. Blaze seemed worried, Knuckles taken aback, Tails scared, Silver nervous and Sonic alarmed.

"That was the police. A man named Winston Petal was just found dead in the flower shop Amy works at."

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_**A/N: Oh, dear Lord. This was the HARDEST chapter EVAR! It feels sad, killing off my own character.**_

_**Sorry for not updating in a while. For a few months I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with this fic. I considered deleting it.**_

_**Now I have inspiration again.**_

_**REVIEWS!**_

_**Please, think of the children . . .**_


	18. Chapter 18: Tripped over this One Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**You believe . . . and you doubt."**_

**Chapter 18: Tripped over this one Step**

**Amy Rose**

The sun was shining brightly at Mr Petal's funeral. I half expected it to rain, but I guessed the weather wasn't up to setting the mood today. It was ironic, because Mr Petal liked the rain. He was always happy on rainy days.

"_Amy, my dear girl, the rain can always wash away the dirt, but never the mood."_

I couldn't even figure out how I remembered that. I had spent every working day with him so we talked a lot – how did I remember that particular piece?

All my friends came with me to the funeral and I deeply appreciated their support. Even Shadow took the time come out and he patted my shoulder sympathetically after the burial.

"He's in a better place now, Rose," he said seriously and I could see my tears had left a dent in his contemptuous demeanour. I only nodded, more tears making the surface. He seemed uncertain of what to say next, at a loss of words. Before turning around to leave, he patted my shoulder once more, gave a compassionate look –as well as he could muster- and left gradually. I couldn't make out his departure through my tears.

I felt another presence behind me.

"Amy?" I turned around. It was Silver this time. He never met Mr Petal before, though I guessed he felt obligated to come anyway. I gave him the smallest part of a small smile I could get together.

"Thanks for coming Silver," I said, or more like whispered. My throat was too sore to enable me to speak properly. He nodded out of sympathy and then pulled me into a friendly hug. I leaned in for comfort, but it only made me feel worse. The speed of my tears increased.

He let go and offered me small grin before also leaving. Shadow was waiting for him under a tree. I was wondering when the two had become friends, but it was pushed to the back of my mind. At the moment, it didn't really matter to me. I wiped some tears away and tried to occupy my mind by scanning the graveyard. It was green, but that was it. Only grass and weeds as far as the tombstones reached the gates. I made a mental note, to always find the time to come and plant some flowers. Mr Petal loved flowers, after all. It was his passion. I vaguely wondered what will happen to his shop.

He didn't have any family – he grew up an orphan, he told me. It was his dream to become an astronaut, he always said with a booming laugh, but he never got that far. The funeral only consisted of me and all my friends, a few loyal customers I only knew by first name and the lady who owned the coffee shop across the flower shop.

They say he had a heart attack, which somewhat shocked me. Mr Petal was relatively healthy and calm. If he died by a heart attack, I'd sure like to know what caused it. But right now, the shock of his permanent absence was so great at this instant, I couldn't think properly. What made me feel guilty was the fact that I hadn't really seen him in weeks. I got so caught up in my training; I barely gave anyone thought these days.

But he wanted me to train hard. He gave me the time off from work to get faster. He supported my decision all the way. It made feel like crap.

"_You run your heart out, my dear girl. Don't slow down for anything."_

"Hey," said a soft voice behind me. It was Cream. I spared her a small glance of gratitude and she took my hand in support. I squeezed it and we both remained silent. I knew this had to be hard for her as well. She knew Mr Petal too and he would always give her a yellow daisy whenever she came to visit me at work. Sometimes even a lollipop if she was lucky.

She was crying, like me. I didn't even think before I lifted her up and cradled her on my hip like a child. It was easier than I expected. Her body was very petite and thanks to my new training, I was considerably stronger as well.

She allowed it and sobbed into my shoulder. I held her and rubbed her back – she was so young, of course this was harder for her. Mr Petal was kind old man who gave her candy and flowers, who ruffled the fur between her ears and called her 'Little Cream Puff'.

My best friend cried on me for a few minutes, before I felt her slump on me entirely. I glanced at her blotched and red face to see she was sleeping. This was emotionally gruelling for her and I even sometimes forget she wasn't as strong as she let up. I had to try and be strong for her.

I saw Rogue approach me after a conversation with Tails, who was comforting Sonic. He was crying too and unsuccessfully trying to hide it. I knew about his visits to the shop whenever I wasn't there. Mr Petal almost told me everything.

"She asleep?" Rogue muttered when she got to me. I nodded and held onto Cream tighter without thought. Rogue's eyes unusually softened when she looked at the small bunny in my arms.

"Poor kid," she whispered sadly and I nodded again. "You want me to take you guys home?"

I ran a thought through my mind for a second before nodding once more. "Please. But can you do me a favour?"

She smiled softly. "Of course. Anything."

"Can you take Cream and wait for me in the car? I want to talk to Sonic," I said and Rogue didn't seem to mind in the least.

"Don't worry. I'll wait as long as you want," she assured me.

"Thanks Rogue," I muttered, handing Cream's slumbering form over to her. She took hold of her with some difficulty, but I hoped she would manage until she reached the car. My sponsor soon left to wait for me in her sleek car and I turned to Sonic, who was sulking over Mr Petal's grave, head bent and hands in his pockets. I stepped forward reluctantly.

Tails saw me draw near. He offered me a kind smile I appreciated and left Sonic's side to hug me awkwardly around my middle. I patted his back.

"Did you know Mr Petal?" I asked, and hearing the name from my own lips kind of stung.

Tails let go of me and looked at the ground. "I only met him once," he explained. "But he was a nice guy, I could tell." I nodded sympathetically and lovingly rubbed his head. He shot Sonic's back a sad look and then looked up to me pleadingly. I shakily sighed.

"Can you do me a favour and go check on Cream? Rogue has her in the car."

He nodded and grudgingly left. I saw him walk up to the gates of the graveyard and climb into Rogues car. My head turned back to the blue hedgehog in front of Mr Petal's grave. I walked forward slowly.

"Sonic?" The word came out in a whisper. I don't know why, but I was a little scared. He didn't respond and I felt worried when I stopped next to him. The sun was very bright all of a sudden, but if anything, the world around me lost a little colour.

"I'm going to plant some flowers here some time. Would you like to help?" He didn't look up, but I saw a ghost of a grin frame his sullen features.

"I think he'd have liked that," he remarked quietly, slumping his shoulders. I looked down at the tombstone. The sight sent a violent shiver up my body, and before I knew it, I was sobbing again. My body barely began to jerk when Sonic pulled me into a tight embrace. I held unto him. I knew he was crying too. Soon, I was wailing into his chest, clawing and pulling at his jacket. His tears were silent, yet the pain was as deep as mine.

"Why? Why?" I cried and I felt him hold me tighter.

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**Sonic the Hedgehog**

I couldn't answer her. I didn't know why. I just held her, more for my sake than Amy's. I felt so weak, so vulnerable, and I've always considered myself a tough guy. But this had drained me – left a whole in my heart larger than I liked to admit. I saw it in Amy too and she was closer to Mr P than I ever was. It was because of her that I mostly went to see him anyway.

He was such a great guy - an old dude who was cool. I even told him that once and he laughed boomingly, like he always did when he found something even a little funny - even when he made that astronaut joke of his.

Amy cried herself dry on me and my own pathetic tears weren't slowing down either. I hated crying, especially in front of someone I know. Though, I guessed since it was for Mr P, it was definitely worth it.

I loosened my grip on Amy and pulled back to wipe the tears off her face. Her expression couldn't be summed up. She looked miserable, exhausted . . . not to mention down in the dumps. I couldn't resist stroking her face and embracing her once more. It was like she absorbed all my sorrow for me, and I felt so disgustingly selfish to even consider that. Amy didn't deserve to suffer and neither did Mr P.

We stood there for what felt, like, forever. When I took the time to open my eyes again, I saw the light in the sky had dimmed and that a ferocious looking cloud was hanging over us. My head contently rested on Amy's soft quills.

"I think it might rain," I mumbled. Amy started to tremble.

"He liked the rain," she remarked softly, her face still buried in my chest. It was a miracle I could hear her.

"I know," I whispered, playing with her quills now, trying to distract myself.

We soon felt the cold drops on our head and we both looked up simultaneously to the sky. Thunder erupted in the distance.

"What are the odds?" I muttered. It was actually pretty stupid, if you asked me. It was so clichéd. Rain at a funeral.

"It looks like a cloud break," Amy pointed out. The cloud did indeed soon break and the wind shortly clashed with the violent fall of water. We decided our little moment was long enough for now and I grabbed Amy by the hand until we climbed into Rogue's car, drenched.

Cream was asleep on Tail's lap and he was softly stroking her ears in affection. Rogue already had the car started. I drew Amy close to me once more and she rested her head on my shoulder with her one hand caressing my chest. I rested my cheek on her wet and damp hair. It smelled so wild.

What would Mr P say to this?

"_My dear boy, the way to a lady's heart is quite simple."_

"_What would that be, Mr P?"_

"_Why, flowers of course." _

I barely smiled as we drove down the wet and deserted streets on a Sunday. I grew tired when I thought about tomorrow.

It was the preliminaries.

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_**A/N: God, that was hard. I just realised why I have so many chapters that are short. You see, I'm going to have A LOT of chapter before the end of this story. The simple reason? That song – you know, One Step at a Time by Jordan Sparks- has a lot of lyrics and I have a chapter for almost each line. Though, I only use the chorus once . . . maybe . . . I think.**_

_**And I would just like to make clear that Sonic isn't the only one getting a big fluff scene with our heroine. Pffft, what makes him so special? He has to make way for the other two now. I'm guessing Shadow is next. Poor guy - can't sympathise at all. I still love him to bits though! **___

_**This chapter s actually one of the first I thought of before starting this story. It was supposed to be just a random story of Sonic coming to see Amy at the flower shop and fall in love with her. But I wanted to portray Amy as an independent woman who had a proud goal set up for herself, so I scratched that idea.**_

_**Writing about sport was a bit easier for me, since I know how hard it is to, you know . . . deal with it sometimes.**_

_**I hate the fact that I miss some spelling mistakes. One day, when I get the time, I'm gonna check and fix all the spelling errors in this story! That's a promise.**_

_**Poor Cream. We gotta remember she's still a kid after all.**_

_**Thumbs up to OddSakura who's review really pumped me up to write this. Everyone must send her thank you's and i love you's.**_

_**I don't own the song or Sonic the Hedgehog. Please review if you get the chance. **_

_**Thanks guys.**_

_**(^^,)**_


	19. Chapter 19: Such a Sudden Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**You're confused . . . You got it all figured out."**_

**Chapter 19: Such a Sudden Step**

Sometime around midnight, the rain has seized and the thunder had calmed. Cream was particularly grateful for this – thunder had never been at the top of her guest list and if he dare gate crashed, she'd have Tails kick him out and go violent on his ass. Cream huffed satisfactory. Yeah, take that thunder . . .

It was a rough night. Or day. She couldn't really tell the difference. In her own professional and respected opinion –she believed- everything had turned to a much unexpected gray. For a moment, she couldn't remember why. She then felt the cold and wet trails on her cheek and Tails' soft graze to wipe them away.

Oh yeah. That nice man had passed away.

She'd never been this sad before – not even when her grandmother passed. It confused her and she suddenly felt guilty for comparing the two situations. After all, Cream knew Nan Dairy would die. She'd been sick for weeks and Cream guessed that gave her the time to mentally and emotionally prepare for what was to come. But this was different. This was too abrupt, too quick for her to process. She wasn't distinctively slow or stupid – or so she told herself – but her brain couldn't comprehend it. It was impossible to accept.

Death scared the living hell out of her. More than Rouge did fighting with a chimp over a shiny rock (and a terrible sight that was). She didn't like the thought of letting go. It was a horrible feeling she seldom liked to experience. Of course, when Amy strangles you for smearing toothpaste all over her face when she's asleep, you'd really like the thought of 'letting go'.

But not right now. Not today.

Cream thought about tomorrow. Amy was worried for her, when in reality; she should be focussing on herself. Cream mentally scorned herself. What kind of a coach was she, making her athlete all stressed out and apprehensive for no reason? She had a responsibility, didn't she? A goal and a will to prove herself? Cream couldn't get in the way of that. She wouldn't allow herself. Her best friend had worked too hard, had pushed herself to the limit and survived, had taken on a challenge she had no knowledge or clue about . . . which is why Cream thought it would be fun.

"Cream?" A voice whispered from next to her and she suddenly became aware of the arms wrapped around her. Tails' fur tickled her face from where she rested her head on his chest. She raised her tired and red eyes to his nervous face and cracked a slight smile.

"Don't worry so much. It's bad for your complexion," she pointed out and affectionately rubbed her head against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat and it was, to her immense surprise, slow and steady. This insulted her.

She pulled away from his embrace and he looked at her questioningly. He shrugged, raising his eyebrows. "What?"

She crossed her arms and pouted. Even behind her tired and swollen eyes, she pulled off a look adorable as ever. "Your heartbeat," she pointed out, upset.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what she was getting at. From where they sat on the sofa in his garage, he saw her huff. It had only been hours since the funeral, but the sorrow still hung like a chilly mist around the place.

"What about it?" he issued, and she looked away from him, pout strongly intensified.

"It's too slow for my liking," she commented and he was slightly taken aback.

"Uh, well, how can we fix that?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. This was so weird. Half the time he didn't understand what she said, or why she said it, but he liked it anyway. An exhausted shade swept over her face and before he knew it, she wrapped her small arms around his neck and buried her face in his collarbone. Then he felt her hand rub up and down his chest soothingly. He sensed his face heating up.

He didn't object though. This was more physically than they've ever gotten. Most time they spent together, they barely even got up to holding hands.

Her palm soon stopped over his heart and he felt her slightly smile into is neck.

"That's better," she sighed and finally rested into his chest with her head once more. Deciding he liked her in his arms, where he could comfort and protect her to the best of his abilities, Tails tightened his hold, intent on never letting.

"You know, sooner or later, you're going to have to let go," Cream pointed out in a monotone and he sighed contently when she retorted his thoughts.

"Says you," he teased, placing a small kiss on her head. She shifted and then softly giggled.

"You idiot. I'm trying to grief. Stop making me all fluttery inside," she argued seriously and smacked him across the face. His expression was dumbfounded for a second before a sly look crept up his face. Suddenly, he had Cream pinned under him and she looked up at him with big eyes.

"No! No! Stop! Tails!" Cream cried between laughs and giggles while he placed sweet butterfly kisses all over her face. Her cheeks, her forehead, her chin, her neck - she tried to weakly push him away, but inside, she knew she was enjoying this.

This went on for a few minutes. Whenever Tails felt like stopping, he simply tickled her to get a bigger laugh or giggle and excite him even further. He came very close to kissing her on the lips. He leaned forward slowly-

"Well this looks like fun."

It happened in only a flash, but Tails soon found himself tangled on the floor. Cream had deliberately kicked him off in surprise. Both kids looked at the doorway to glare at the intruder. Rogue only smirked.

"My, my, Tails. I must say. I'm impressed," she remarked slyly and her smirked only widened when she crossed her arms and leaned on the doorframe. Cream shot daggers at her.

"You're still here?" she asked, or almost accused, if Rogue heard her tone of voice right. The bat only stepped forward to pull Tails with one arm off of the floor.

"Just making sure you kids are alright before I leave. Though, now I guess I have to stay to make sure Tails doesn't pounce you in your sleep," she explained the last part a bit too seductively for Cream's liking, who only crossed her arms, pouted and decided to sulk her way out of this conversation. Rogue only patted her head.

The bunny looked up at her with drained and colourless eyes. This weekend had certainly taken toll on her typical sparkling look. The ears seemed to have settled into a permanent drooped and crooked status. She was doing better though. Tails meant the world. He really made the difference and Rogue took it upon herself to make sure the two were rarely separated.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Rogue smiled sweetly at Cream who broke out into a small smile.

"You're coming?"

"Of course! You think I wouldn't support my own athlete? Especially after all the hard work you put into her?" Rogue burst out in outraged mock. Cream puffed out her chest in pride.

"Well, I did prepare the ice-baths, after all."

Rogue couldn't help but ruffle the fur between her ears. "You cute little devil."

Soon after, she left, leaving both youngsters alone once again. Tails felt somewhat embarrassed now, even when he took his seat back next to the girl. She leaned into him once more and sighed before closing her eyes.

"I hope Amy's ready for tomorrow."

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It's been a while since she was alone. She wanted to be alone though, like she told Cream, Rogue and Sonic. Her house seemed too small at the moment – like the walls would close in and swallow her up if she wasn't paying attention.

It was night-time, only hours had passed since Mr Petal's funeral. Amy had left the house unlocked, and walked out without setting a destination. When she finally broke out of her blanked out state, she found herself at the park. The same park she'd been training and had conversations with Silver and Shadow.

The same bench as always kept her company. The same tree as always hung over her. Despite this, it felt like it was missing something.

"Rose?"

Ah, there it was.

"Are you all right?"

Amy turned her head slowly and saw Shadow on the path leading to the bench she occupied. She waited for him to walk up to her, sit down and stare at her curiously before even blinking.

"How did you know?" she inquired softly.

"That you'd be here? Instinct, I guess." He shrugged and turned his gaze to the stars. She stared at him thoughtfully, though Shadow could make out the lifeless expression in her eyes. He didn't like it. It made him edgy.

He made eye contact with her for a second, before he caught sight of the new fresh tears streaming down her face. She buried her face in her hands quickly.

"Oh my word, I'm so sorry," she sobbed and began to hiccup. He didn't even think when his eyes slightly softened and his arm brought her closer to his body. She didn't even consider the fact that the Ultimate Life form was whispering comfort into her ear.

"These things happen, Rose. It's natural. It's no one's fault." He didn't recognise his voice. Who the hell was he again? She pulled away from him a little to look up at his face – proximity a bit close than either intended.

"Oh, Shadow. I'll miss him so much! Do you think he felt pain before he died?" her voice cracked and the tears stained her beautiful face – which he was still close to, by the way. His heart ached for her pain and sorrow. He felt something strong constrict around it when he heard her speak so dejectedly. The care and love that she could hold for a single being astounded him and he found himself wanting to be a part of that.

For a moment, Shadow only became immersed in her eyes. Her poignant, stained and mournful green eyes he so all of a sudden got lost in. He even forgot his name for a moment.

"Shadow?" Oh, right, that's what it was.

He pulled her closer to him once more, afraid he might do something he may regret later on.

"Even if he did feel pain, nothing could compare to the relief he felt when it was over. Think how calm and peaceful that moment was to him."

Where the hell were these words coming from? Were they even true, or was he making stuff up to try and console her to the best of his efforts?

Amy only sniffed, and then shakily sighed, hiccupped and then nodded to herself. "You're probably right. He liked the peace."

"Then he's pretty happy where he is right now," Shadow said and Amy gave the smallest of a chuckle.

"You think he found peace?"

"If he's as half as nice as everyone said, than I don't doubt it at all," he stated, feeling more like himself again. Amy hugged him tighter and sniffed.

"Thanks Shadow. You're a good friend."

Something hurt behind that statement, even if Shadow knew he should treasure hearing it. It was, after all, something he didn't hear every day. But there wasn't enough behind it. There was something else he wanted, but he didn't know what it was.

Well, screw it. He'd always sucked at serene emotions. Why try and figure them out now?

"It's late. You should get to bed. We have the Elimination Rounds tomorrow," Shadow pointed out and he saw Amy's face pale.

"I completely forgot," she whispered in horrified panic. Before he even knew what he was doing, Shadow picked her up effortlessly. She gave a slight "Gah!" and then shrieked when he tossed her up and caught her in a more comfortable position.

"S-Shadow!" she exclaimed, her tears now dried up. He saw the old proud Amy for a second and then she gave into her tiredness and leaned into his chest. His grip on her tightened.

"You so owe me for this, Rose. I'm no taxi."

"I didn't ask for a lift, thank you very much," she mumbled sleepily and after a second of experiencing what he thought was bliss, sped off in a blotched line of black and red.

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_**A/N: This is the third time I've updated today. It's all thanks to OddSakura who sent me the greatest review known to mankind. I mean, I actually showed it to my mom and she was all like:**_

"_**You can write?"**_

_**And I was all like.**_

"_**Yep."**_

_**And she was all like:**_

"_**Are you any good?"**_

_**And I was all like:**_

"_**READ THE REVIEW WOMAN!"**_

_**So yeah, that didn't really happen. But I would like to thank OddSakura from the bottom of my heart. This chapter is for you . . . because I know you hate Shadamy XD . . . yes, I am weird like that . . . sorry.**_

_**At the moment, it's four AM. I was so psyched up, I wanted to write again. Hell, I might have the next chapter up before nine.**_

_**Okay, no, I want to sleep.**_

_**Now this chapter wasn't just some random piece of nothing I threw up. This is pretty integral to the plot . . . the evil plot . . . of which I am the evil mastermind! Haha, yugioh abridged rules . . .**_

_**The next chapter IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER EVAR!**_

_**Cause I think we're past half way now . . .**_

_**For the first time, I really want to finish this sucker. For a long time I couldn't remember what I wanted to do so I just read the whole thing over – and after puking at all my spelling mistakes – realised there was actually something on here! I call it . . . the result of my brain working.**_

_**HAHAHAHAHA!**_

_**Yes, I'm random.**_

_**Yes, I should be sleeping.**_

_**Yes, I am crazy.**_

_**Yes, I do like bananas.**_

_**Yes, I don't want any flames on this chapter.**_

_**Thanks for reading. I don't own anything today (maybe tomorrow). Have a great day. And remember: All twiddledinkies are priced to go.**_

_**=D =D =D**_


	20. Chapter 20: Oh, Dear Lord

**One Step at a Time**

"_**Everything that you always wished for . . . Could be yours, should yours, would be yours . . ."**_

**Chapter 20: Oh, Dear Lord . . .**

When the car Rouge had sent to pick up Amy and Cream drove them to the stadium, they sat through an uneasy and stressful silence. For once no arguments of any kind broke out – it only nerved the athlete even more. It was still relatively early, a few minutes before eight.

Despite this weekend's tiring events, Amy felt rested out enough, probably thanks to Shadow for literally dropping her in bed last night before the time got away from her.

Amy started to play with the strap on her sponsored sport's bag. It was a shiny black material with Club Rouge's logo printed on boldly in neon pink and white. She also wore one of the many tracksuits her sponsor was gracious enough to give away, along with a cosy pair of slacks. She figured she'd put on her spikes before her warm-up.

Cream eyed her.

"Calm down," the bunny ordered curtly when she saw Amy chew on her lower lip and stare out of the window in worry. Her hedgehog friend looked back at her with slightly panicked eyes, but didn't retort. Cream heard herself sigh before shifting closer to her best friend and laid a supportive and gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Amy." The latter broke eye contact with the window to stare down at her coach - who gave her a frank look. "Get yourself together, man. You're gonna do great today."

Her athlete only nodded clumsily and turned back to the window to lose her thoughts in the passing buildings. Cream retracted her hand and rested back in her seat, shooting the other nervous looks now and again.

The car soon came to a halt and Cream sprang out hurriedly to open the door for Amy. Determined to get her to relax, Cream bowed in mock and said in a high-pitched voice: "Come, milady! World domination awaits."

Amy snorted with laughter as she closed her door and slung her bag over her shoulder. After the car pulled away, she gave her trainer a grateful pat between the ears.

"Thanks Cream. I needed that." The bunny beamed at this.

Satisfied with their more relaxed state, both turned to face Station Square Stadium and froze in absolute amazement when they saw the magnificent building in front of them.

"Oh-"

"Wow."

"-my-"

"That's-"

"-gosh."

"-big."

It stood there in all its architectural glory. Truly a sight to behold, the stadium was at a glorious height. It didn't reach the clouds, but still seemed to tower over most of the taller structures that surrounded it. Amy had never seen anything like it. It was in a unique shape, almost oval. Athletes of all shapes and sizes were artistically painted on every inch of the endless wall. It didn't seem to have a ceiling but formed more of a dome.

Standing there, gawking at the enormity of the building she'd be competing in, sent an electric jolt up Amy's legs. A tense and anticipating churn burned in her stomach, but still keyed her up none the less. The largeness of the Olympics actually came to her apprehension for once. She'd never taken the chance to consider how big of an event this was.

And when the hell did they build this thing?

Mouth agape, Amy all but didn't notice the tall and burly figure almost stepping on her coach.

"Hey!" Cream cried, visibly upset, when the giant spotted paw or foot missed her by nearly an inch. Both girls looked up to snap at the person but fell silent when they came to face with possibly the largest man/cheetah/leopard they had ever seen. His petite moustache twitched when he flashed his teeth in a snarl. Acting on instinct and the will to live, Cream jumped in behind the taller girl and hoped pink wasn't too big of a turn off for him.

He bent down lowly to snap in Amy's face with a strange accent. "Watch where you stand, girl."

Amy flinched and nervously giggled out of fear. "S-So sorry! It won't happen again!"

His sharp teeth produced a violent growl. Involuntarily –and also acting on the will to live- Amy grabbed Cream who was hiding behind her and shoved her in the man's face. The bunny trembled in fear from where Amy held her out to offer (or sacrifice).

"Here! Take her! Just don't hurt me!"

Too scared to snap at her friend for her tactlessness, Cream could only muster a pout and a sad show of puppy-dog eyes, hoping the gigantic man was partial to cuteness.

It didn't have the wanted effect, but none the less, he left in furious silence - only after huffing in Cream's face, leaving behind an extraordinary odour of bread and pepper. Amy still held Cream in the air in front of her, but both stood frozen for a second, utterly traumatised.

"Uhm, Amy? Cream? Is everything okay?"

This seemed to make them snap out of their trance and Amy ceremonially dropped Cream to the ground to turn and stare into mesmerising gold eyes. Amy smiled properly for the first time in days.

"Hi Silver," she greeted with s small beam. From behind her, she felt Cream's murderous eyes dig into her back. She paid her no attention. Silver grinned friendlily and Amy felt the blood rush up into her face. It was evident, even to her, that Silver was a good-looking guy. Any girl would react this way, right?

"How are you doing?" he asked with soft and sympathetic eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder. A rush whirled through her entire body. She shyly played with her feet.

"Oh, I'm doing better, thanks," she answered quietly. She then felt a small figure push between her and the silver hedgehog, roughly separating the distance between them. Amy looked down into the furious eyes of Cream, who crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

"Get your bag. I'll meet you at the gate," she ordered and Amy sighed knowingly before shooting Silver an apologetic look – which he returned. Slinging her bag on her shoulder once more, she followed a few other athletes into the stadium and disappeared through the gate. Silver was about to turn and leave as well, but felt a sharp tug at his leg. He saw Cream glare at him suspiciously.

"Can I help you, Cream?" he inquired uncertainly and her glare only intensified. He saw her take a breath. A small hand then sprang up and grasped him by the collar. He was pulled down roughly to face an irate Cream in the eyes.

"Listen here, _buster_," she forced through her teeth, her cute face red with anger. "Don't go flirting with my athlete, thinking you can distract her or anything. Until this thing is over, or _you _fall out – 'cause I don't think Amy will – you stay away from her. I don't need stupid people like you to mess with her head while she's still hurt from this weekend. Got it?" She yanked on his collar once more and he almost lost balance at the force she put it in it. She released him.

He stood dumbfounded as she strutted away. Her small form also disappeared into the gate and he found himself huffing.

"What a pest," he muttered and started to straighten his collar. He heard an amused chuckle behind him. He didn't need to look to know who it was.

"You know, I'm really starting to like that kid," a deep voice pointed out. Silver only rolled his eyes and after fixing his collar, turned to face Shadow.

"Oh, get over yourself," he angry replied and turned to enter the stadium. To his surprise, and temporary annoyance, Shadow fell into step next to him.

"Have you told Rose yet?" he asked the other and Silver looked unsure for a moment.

"About what?"

Shadow knocked him over the head with the palm of his hand.

"Ow! Was that necessary?" Silver snapped, trying very hard to keep his composure.

Shadow ignored his question. "About the MOA, you imbecile! About the DNA conspiracy we discussed?"

Silver eyes held slight realisation. "Oh, that. No, I haven't. We agreed we wouldn't tell her unless she made the preliminaries . . . which you are so positive will happen."

"You doubt her abilities?" the darker one asked, raising his eye brow in a dubious manner.

"No, but have you seen the other athletes?" his companion inquired. They had now reached the gates. After a quick security scan and a procedure check, they were allowed entrance. Their conversation was, however, cut short by the inside of the stadium. It was only the morning, but lights flashed from every spot in the stands. It was full up to three quarters, but a remarkable number when you consider that the stadium seated seventy thousand spectators.

"Impressive," Silver remarked thoughtfully and turned to Shadow. A few athletes passed them in curiosity. "This is where we split up for now, my friend."

Shadow snorted but then gave his infamous smirk. "See you on the track."

They exchanged firm handshakes and turned to leave in opposite directions.

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"Good luck out there, okay? I'll be cheering for you," Rogue enthused, placing a sweet peck on Knuckles' cheek. He grinned at her confidently and puffed out his chest. She noticed the muscles in his upper body begin to flex, no doubt formed after weeks of hard training and exercise. How did she miss something so deliciously obvious? From where they stood at the east gate, Rogue suddenly felt bad. She'd probably been neglecting him for the past two weeks, too caught up with the club and with Amy.

Knuckles smiled at her. "Don't worry. I've got this," he assured her. She truly did admire his self-reliance, but hoped he wouldn't fall flat on his face because of it.

She placed a final kiss on his lips and left him slightly star-struck and dazed, before she heard him announce; "_Now_ I'm going to win this thing!"

'It's only the preliminaries, love,' Rogue thought to herself, while rolling her eyes and smiling knowingly. She entered the stadium with the normal air of buoyancy she always possessed. Her sharp eyes scanned the track, already occupied by athletes warming up for the first events. She glanced at her watch. Amy's first round was in almost an hour.

Shuffling through a few journalists who were hogging one particular athlete she didn't even see or recognise, Rouge finally spotted Amy in the corner of the track warming up under Cream's stern surveillance with intense focus. It wasn't too hard to spot a pink hedgehog with black running attire, after all. While Rogue walked well over a hundred metres to get to her, she noticed how notable Amy appeared in her sponsored clothes. The logo really stood out.

Cream only gruffly nodded at her when she arrived, most likely still mad about last night. Her attention then shifted to the athlete who was stretching on the ground. Her leg-muscles suddenly flexed and Rogue began to wonder where all the well-built bodies were coming from. Amy stood up from the ground to smile at her bat-eared friend.

"Hi Rogue!" she greeted with a wave and turned to Cream. "How many this time?"

" Four," the rabbit answered simply and Amy nodded seriously before jogging a few metres back and forth. Rogue went to stand next Cream while Amy got herself ready.

"How's she doing?" she muttered and the other nodded thoughtfully with a proud grin.

"Pretty good. Nervous, but rested and happy, at least."

"Have you seen any competition?" Rogue asked reticently, crossing her arms. Cream shook her head.

"No one other than who we already know is competing. We did have a little incident with some big scary guy outside, but he didn't look like the running type," she explained, tapping her chin, but never taking her eyes off Amy. "Looked like he was in the throwing league."

"How big?" Rogue asked curiously. Cream turned to her fully with a sour expression.

"Well, Amy was so afraid of him, she was very willing to offer me up on a silver platter to him to save her own sorry neck."

From where she was stretching out against the wall, Amy spun her head around. "I said I was sorry!"

"And I said four! Not three!" Cream countered and her athlete rolled her eyes before taking off for another quick set of sprints and jogs. Rogue's eyes followed her whenever she broke out into a sprint. They widened.

"Shit. She got fast!"

Cream raised her eyebrows at the bat who gawked down at her. "What do you think we've been doing this whole time? You should know she's fast! You're sponsoring her, aren't you?"

Rogues scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, but I didn't know she was _that _fast. Cream, she could seriously make a break through here!" She bent down to whisper excitedly into Cream ear and the other smiled up at her.

"Of course she can! I've been training with her for more than a month now and look at how she's improved! She's like lightning_! Lightning, damn it_!" The bunny squealed, sharing Rogue's enthusiasm.

"You know, I can hear you," Amy remarked dryly, stopping right in front of them, a slight pant on her lips. Her hands rested on her hips, more from being tired than attitude. Cream handed her the water bottle that stood beside her bag.

"Thanks," said Amy and took a swig of water before closing the cap and tossing it onto her bag. There was a sudden buzz and then the stadium filled an announcer's voice.

"_All athletes trying out for the high-jump, please get ready to compete in ten minutes."_ The voice clicked and the crowd gave a thrilled and lively roar. Amy's spine stiffened when she heard the noise from the spectators. There were so many of them, so many eyes that would be watching. Cream seemed to notice her distress.

"Hey!" Amy looked down at her coach while she was addressed. "Don't pay any attention to those people. Half of them wandered in here by mistake, anyway."

"And the other half?"

"They don't even know where they are at the moment," Cream stated and Amy felt s slight bubble of laughter erupt from her chest. Cream was making this so much easier. She knelt down and pulled her friend into a hug.

"I love you, Cream," she told her best friend who only wiggled awkwardly.

"Let go, you idiot! The crowd could be watching!"

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"Mr Sonic, are you nervous about the upcoming rounds?"

"Mr Sonic, how's your competition?"

"Do you have full faith in you capability to possible win?"

"Mr Sonic! Over here!"

"Can you answer a few questions real quick?"

They were everywhere. It didn't matter where Sonic turned to; there was a blasted reporter with a camera and a notepad, looking for an interview. He pushed through them with difficulty. Why these idiots were even allowed on the track was beyond his understanding. He pushed to get to the corner where he spotted a pink blur, but he wasn't progressing very capably. Sonic then heard a familiar voice.

"Security!" Sonic stood on his toes to look over the reporters to see Tails standing outside the bundle, a group of security guards towering behind him. Almost like a fire broke out, the reporters scrambled like ants and were soon seen away from the track. Sonic turned to his little friend.

"Thanks man," said Sonic, ultimate relief washing over his nervous face. He patted Tails on head who pushed it away.

"Why aren't you warming up? You are running in less than half an hour!"

"But, I just-"

"GO! Warm up already!"

Feeling like a child scorned by his mother, Sonic turned and started to warm up in a clearing on the track. There were no rounds at the moment, seeing as his round was the first to go. He didn't know why, but he felt sort of tense, even when he was considered a shoe in to win this thing.

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"Ten minutes," Cream pronounced, clutching her stopwatch in her hand. Amy felt her body begin to quiver in exhilaration. "This is where I leave you. I'm going to join Rogue in the VIP box and then meet you there after the run, okay?"

Amy nodded, too edgy to speak – afraid she might throw up. Cream gave her a supportive look.

"Just give it your all, 'kay? Trust me Amy, I've saw some of these weirdos warm up and they're really not up to high standard."

"And I am?"

"After almost two months of intense conditioning, you ought to be," stated Cream confidently, though she felt nervous herself. "Good luck."

And she left, taking Amy's bag with her to climb the stairs in the stands so she can join the coaches and VIP's in the box up to. A wave of loneliness swept over Amy when she saw Cream left, but she took a shaky breath and turned to line up at the hundred metre point.

There were already a few athletes making ready. A t the far point a male greyish horse jumped up and down nervously, trying to loosen himself up. Next to him was a female ostrich, a resolute and grim look in her long face. Following the bird was none other than Silver, who avoided her eye contact for some reason. Next to him she saw Blaze stoically examine the track ahead of them – Amy had forgotten that the cat was a sprinter herself.

'She barely talks. I don't even know if she's fast.'

Pushing her thoughts aside, Amy saw a very short sort of rodent. Whether he was a mouse or a rat, she wasn't too sure. Lines up next to him was Shadow and next to him a very scared-looking dog. Then came Amy. She turned to her left and next to her stood . . . Oh dear lord.

"Amy! Good luck, hey?"

"You too . . . Sonic." Her voice then got caught in her throat and she decided the best remedy would be to flat out ignore him. The odds were starting to worry her. She had to place in the top four to make it to the final round. Her eyes locked with the stretch of magenta tartan in front of her and when the announcer's voice erupted from the speakers and echoed throughout the stadium of flashing lights, her insides began to squirm.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the 100 metre sprint shall now commence!"_

Amy wondered why it was necessary to announce the events so lamely, but shook her head to compose her focus. No athlete uttered a word and a sudden ripple of silence travelled through the dome. An official standing beside the line-up held a bullhorn.

"Athletes, line-up!" he bellowed and everything clouded out of Amy's mind. All sound seemed a faint echo now – only the bullhorn ringing in her mind kept her ears buzzing with eagerness.

"On your marks."

The athletes got ready and Amy put herself into the position Cream had been training her for, for the past two weeks. Fro where they held her up from the ground, her knuckled had turned a white shade and her heart pounded with intensity she had never experienced.

"Get set."

Here it was - one of the most important moments she'd been training for. Now was her chance to prove herself. Her head lifted steadily and her eyes narrowed firmly at the length of hundred metres in front of her. It suddenly seemed a lot farther than the hundred metre pavement in the park.

The stadium was dead silent.

A violent clap escaped from the gun the official had been holding. Not waiting even the tiniest part of a second, Amy reacted instantly, focussing her speed and stamina. Along with eight other competitors, Amy ran for like she'd never run before.

After the first twenty metres, only three athletes were ahead of her, but only by a little more than a metre. The rest was still behind her; however she was still working furiously to stay ahead of them. Her breath inhaled and exhaled like a machine, but she wasn't registering any natural motion from her body. After the first fifty metres, she was starting to tire.

Her limbs were on fire and some kind of creature was trying to break out of her chest. The cheers from the stand only excited her more and she felt an unfamiliar volt of energy surge up her body.

When she passed the first seventy metres though, the corner of her eye caught sight of a pair of cat ears. Blaze was rapidly speeding past Amy, but the hedgehog refused to lose without a fight and her eyes narrowed without notice. With great effort and projected breathing, she shot forward with all the strength she could assemble. They were neck in neck until the ninety metre mark until Amy put in a last effort from her burning legs and swiftly ducked her head across the starting line. In the split second she bent her head, Blaze's form disappeared.

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_**A/N: Phew, I've been writing on this thing for a while. It was difficult for me, for some reason. Anyway, I thought I wasn't going to update –seeing as it is exams and all- but I finished studying early so INTERNET HIGH FIVE!**_

_**Gosh, I love this chapter. I think it's the longest one thus far. Well, it's certainly one of the most important. My head hurts now.**_

_**You guys should Google some sport stadiums. There really are a few great ones out there. I made my own one up (to the best of my abilities). You know, after the World Cup and everything, I was wondering what the hell these unused one in my country was being used for . . . RUGBY OF COURSE! And occasionally soccer. (Gasp! The sequel to this thing should be a soccer fic!)**_

_**Damn, I'm weird and I love this story a lot.**_

_**Cream kicked ass in this part. Gosh, I love her to bits! She's certainly a favourite here. Can you just imagine Silver's face when he's staring at a pissed off Cream? My side hurts just thinking about it.**_

_**Oh, and that big guy in the beginning? That's Mustafa. He has a very significant role to the plot . . . the evil plot . . . of which I am the evil mastermind!**_

_**Ahem.**_

_**Anywho, his character is dedicated to Caster Semenya. No, I'm not joking. I'm totally serious. Of course, I don't know what she's like so I just made up my own character.**_

_**Cookies to Knuckles and Rogue!**_

_**Please do review if you get the chance!**_

_**Love you guys**_

_**(^^,)**_


	21. Chapter 21: This Is Still the First Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**If they only knew . . ."**_

**Chapter 21: This Is Still the First Step**

She couldn't believe it.

Cream blinked. When did she teach Amy _that_ move?

Even when you're sitting in a crowded box filled with snobbish rich sponsors and nosy reporters, this race was the most spectacular and nail-biting event of her short life. Surely this was a memory you'd keep with you for a long time and then uselessly spoil it to you grandchildren when they're visiting you at a retirement home.

Cream got Goosebumps the whole while the athletes sped down the track. It was, to her amazement, too close for comfort, but none the less, her athlete was through. She was sure of it.

But Amy had the potential to be faster and stronger. After all, she'd only been training for a month – not to mention she had suffered loss only days before so mentally and emotionally, she could be doing better. It was a miracle she had even competed.

Cream felt her ears perk up in pride as she watched from the top box of the stadium how her athlete gasped for air, very close to fainting by the pale look on her face. It was difficult for Cream to restrain herself from cheering and screaming, but the professional atmosphere of the VIP box forced a little courtesy on her. Not that she cared what a bunch of rich old suckers thought of her or her behavior – it was just too nerving to even think about acting like a maniac . . . which is quite strange, considering that she liked doing that.

The bunny then felt a twitch in her eardrum when she heard the intercom go off once more. From next to her, Rogue jumped in her seat in alarm at the loudness.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, will you please direct your attention to the big screen where the results are displayed."_

"They have a big screen?" Rogue asked and Cream merely shrugged.

"I'm guessing since they announced it to nearly seventy thousand people . . . yeah, most likely," she answered bluntly while nodding once, eyes already locked on the giant square perched at the very top of the roof, right before the roof started to curve to form the dome.

Rogue snorted but her eyes soon found the board as well. The results were in. In a list formed by annoying orange letters, every athlete's name was displayed - from top to bottom; first to last.

Cream scanned the top five intently. There was no denying it – whether she had been faster or not, due to her quick thinking, Amy had won Blaze at the very last millisecond. At first Cream suspected they may have been tied, but the board had already established what was what.

She read further: Silver was third and nearly neck in neck with Shadow, who ended up second. The pair was almost as competitive as Blaze and Amy at the very last moment, but Cream ruled them out as unimportant to acknowledge . . . for now, anyway. After all, she was smart enough to grasp that at the current moment, all three the other hedgehogs were faster than Amy. They were far better physically conditioned, skilled and skilled and even more skilled in speeding performances. It came naturally to them – Cream understood that.

What they didn't realize though, is that Cream had been studying the hedgehog anatomy very thoroughly in the time she'd spent training with Amy. Cream may be young, but she could be sharp when the moment called for it.

The first thing she realized was that Sonic, Shadow and Silver had been training next to almost a year for this. The Olympics weren't a secret after all, just not very well publicized. And Cream got these guys pretty well – they were all proud men. They trained hard and intense, determined not to be overruled by the competition. What they didn't apprehend though is that they beat Amy by only a mere four seconds, excluding Sonic who beat her by five point three. And she's been training for only a month.

The second thing she came across was that, Amy didn't tire out nearly as fast as they did. Tails told her that Sonic's body was very limited when it came to speed, especially since he's been training more frequently than ever, meaning that even after almost months of training, he still hasn't adjusted to this new pace. She's almost more than hundred percent sure the same went for the other two blokes. Amy, on the other, only spent a week or more on fine-tuning her body to the comfort of her training program.

What this proved to Cream was that first of all, Amy was in a more comfortable running position than the other three. Also, because Cream had been closely monitoring Amy's physical treatment, she was less prone to injuries or any unnatural pain, and because the boys _would_ push themselves too far, it would end in the inevitable. Adding to this, Amy was also disciplined and understood the mechanics of her speed. But this was the boys' thoughts: "We're fast! Let's run like heck!"

It was pretty clear to Cream who actually won the race here, but none the less, shifted her eyes to read the name of the real winner at the top of the list.

First in place was the ostrich.

No, I'm kidding. Duh, it was Sonic.

Cream raised her eyebrows at the results being presented on the screen. Soon the big screen flashed and showed the action replay of every athlete crossing the finish line. Sonic came in zooming - Shadow and Silver short on his heels. Blaze and Amy were neck in neck until the last few steps until Amy closed her eyes and swiftly ducked her head past the cat.

'Seriously, where did she learn that?' Cream thought, partially annoyed that it wasn't her in particular. Rogue the Bat was very excited by this though.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, a few people in the box's eyes whipping to her. She paid them no thought. "That was simply wonderful!"

Cream stood up from her seat and the other followed suit. With Amy's bag still on her shoulders, she and Rogue climbed the stairs down the stadium to make their way to Amy. Of course, this proved mildly difficult with the press crowded all around the other hedgehogs. While they walked to the finish line, Rogue and Cream discussed Amy's performance.

"I have no idea where the heck she learned that," Cream commented, almost frustrated that this would bother her so much.

"Learned what?" Rogue queried, giving her nails a quick look-over.

"That duck thing she did at the last second!" the trainer stated, a bit too loudly. "I mean, I can't believe she has such a fine sense of initiative for this sport already, and we barely have her up to professional standard! She's amazing!"

Rogue seemed thoughtful. "Are you serious? You didn't teach her that?"

"No, duh."

"And when you say she's not even up to professional standard, you mean she could be faster?"

Cream nodded seriously. "Yep."

The bat suddenly became very excited and pulled on Cream's arm to get to their athlete in more of a hurry than they were previously.

"Come on, let's go already! I'm not paying you to stand around and do nothing."

"Why? You're not paying me," Cream stated simply.

"Because . . . shut up."

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Amy heaved, along with Blaze who was also crouched and leaning unto her knees. They inhaled breath for a while before Amy finally recuperated and stood up straight to face Blaze. Her face was hard to read. Amy couldn't tell if she was angry or disappointed. Despite this, Amy beamed at her with friendliness.

"That was incredible! Wow Blaze, well done. Good race," she praised the cat who stared blankly at the pink hedgehog for a moment. There was a second where her eyes shifted between the three other hedgehogs being crowded by the paparazzi and then back to the girl who was now holding out her hand.

Finally breaking out into a small grin, Blaze took her hand and shook it firmly. "Thank you, Amy. You were pretty amazing yourself."

Amy shook her head, still smiling. "I'm nothing special," she remarked, modestly giggling. "But it was an honor running with you. It was really fun!"

Blaze then released her hand and then, totally overthrown by Amy's intense kindness, decided to draw Amy into a friendly hug. Slightly taken aback, but nevertheless relieved she wasn't mad at her, Amy hugged her back.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being filmed by one of the nearby cameramen, who found the moment to sweet to pass up. They're friendly embrace was shown on the big screen and soon the cameramen were holding microphones over their heads. Both athletes ignored this, while their entire conversation was being displayed on screen, for nearly seventy thousand people to witness.

Once letting go, Blaze gave Amy a final pat on the shoulder. "It was an honor running with you too, Amy. I'll be cheering for you from the sidelines from now on."

The pink hedgehog's smile broadened. "Thanks Blaze. You're a good friend."

This was so odd. In the past few weeks, Amy had barely seen Blaze, let alone talked to her. They had never been remotely close, but now, out of nowhere, there was some kind of bizarre friendship forming. This reminded her of how she and Rogue became closer. It did, however, lift her spirits to know there was someone else standing behind her and supporting her. Her face then turned to the screen. She saw them being shown to the entire stadium.

Taking grasp of the moment, Amy put an arm around Blaze's shoulder and then bashfully waved into the camera. Stunned for only a moment, Blaze copied her, and almost seventy thousand people saw two friends waving to them.

They barely got the chance to say anything before the crowd broke out into friendly applause and cheers, honoring the two athletes for their affability.

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Shadow pushed himself through the crowd of reporters and cameramen, rather annoyed that they were allowed on the track, even if it only was after the race. He roughly elbowed one in the side, who dropped his camera in surprise. The Ultimate Life form vaguely smirked before trotting off to the exit of the stadium.

He was done for the day. He did what he had to do and, at the very least, he had succeeded in beating his second biggest rival. Of course, it was a close call, but he pulled through in the end. The faker was first, to his absolute frustration, but Shadow only mulled over how sweeter victory would be once the blue hedgehog's ego was sufficiently bloated and ready to hammer until he finally exploded. Shadow grinned.

Oh yeah, he was evil.

He was about to enter the parking lot –nearly full – when he felt a sharp tug on his leg. He swirled around impatiently, but saw no one behind him. Huffing at his own imagination's bother, he turned around to leave once more.

"Excuse me, mister Shadow," squeaked a voice and Shadow halted in his tracks. He spun around and looked down to see a small fluffy-tailed lion cub girl, looking to be six or five years of age. Regardless of the fact that he was glaring at her with the intensity that dimmed out the heat of a thousand suns, she smiled at him very sweetly. He was vaguely reminded of a certain pink-headed hedgehog.

She held out a pen and paper, very cutely. "Can I have your autograph?"

There was a small tug on his heart, the smallest you could ever imagine, but it was effective none the less. He guessed he should have played it cooler, maybe have lashed out or something, but the girl's green eyes were too distracting. They were so familiar.

He stood, dumbfounded. "You want _my_ autograph?"

She nodded, teeth glittering. "Uh-huh! You're cooler than they are!" she exclaimed and he hesitantly took the pen and paper from her tiny paw-like hands.

His face was still in shock. He didn't get it. Why him? What made him so special? Didn't this kid understand what he was? Or who he was, for that matter? There wasn't even a trickle of fear in her expression. If anything, there was nothing but total adoration and complete awe for the hedgehog towering over her.

His eyes met her sparkling ones and he found himself releasing a sigh. Giving into the pathetic weakness that a little girl could get out of him, he wrote his name down on the paper in simple letters. "Sure kid," he muttered, feeling older and more tired than he should. "What's your name?"

"Zoey!" she replied in a sing-song voice. In the corner of his eye, he saw her tail swish back in forth in the sheer thrill of receiving the autograph of a guy who she'd only figured out existed minutes ago.

"To Zoey, from Shadow," the hedgehog grumbled as he scribbled and then, feeling a fleet of inspiration, wrote a message down for kicks. He handed her the paper and she squealed, hugging the piece to her chest.

"See you around . . . Zoey," he greeted, feeling lame and turned to leave. Zoey saw the dark athlete depart the stadium and looked down to see what he wrote for her. It took a while to figure out – seeing as she was only six and had yet to master her reading skills – but the note was simple enough.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she pursed out every syllable. "D-d-do, no…don't be a . . . a . . . fa-face-no-faker!" Her eyes lit up. "Don't be a faker!"

She giggled to herself.

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On the ride back home, Amy didn't feel as tired as she thought she would. Cream and Rogue had been standing by through her entire moment with Blaze, whom she now considered a friend. As the soft graze of the car's tires over the tar of the road kept her ears busy, Amy felt something nudging her knee. She saw her coach hold out a bottle for her.

Amy took it curiously. "What's this?"

"Recovery supplement," she answered simply, smiling. "It's also to add some iron to your diet. I'll give you some every now and again, okay? Or just tell me when your muscles are tightened up. It ought to loosen them up a bit."

Amy took a swig of the mixture. It wasn't too bad, almost lemony, but a little more bitter than normal. "Thanks coach," she said after downing the bottle in just a few gulps.

Cream, hearing how Amy had addressed her, raised her chin in the air and smiled widely in vanity. Rogue glanced back from where she was sitting behind the wheel.

"Listen Amy, I know the whole publicity thing sucks, but I need you to do two interviews for me tomorrow. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not. It's in our contract, anyway," the athlete responded, nodding with a grin. Cream agreed on this.

"You're taking a break tomorrow anyhow," said her coach, shrugging, but soon put on a stern face. "But starting Tuesday we're getting you back in the gym."

"You were incredible by the way," Rogue remarked, eyes glued to the road. Amy only shook her head.

"I didn't win."

"But you beat four other suckers," her sponsor pointed out with that same seductive grin she liked to put on. The thought got stuck in Amy's mind and she felt her spirit lift.

"How'd it go with Knuckles, by the way?" she asked and Rogue only shrugged.

"I don't know," she said. "They're a bit behind schedule, so he's participating an hour later. He said he'd text me the results.

"He hasn't sent you anything yet," Cream stated matter-of-factly.

Rogue raised her eyebrows in the front mirror. "How would you know?"

"Because I'm using your phone to download music at this very moment, "Cream said, rather simply and coated with attitude.

There was a moment of silence.

And then the car swerved and Amy got crushed into the window.

"GIVE THAT BACK YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

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Tired and soar, Silver threw his bag over his shoulder and trudged off the track after the last reporter had pestered him. He felt exhausted. The race had certainly drained him, but he had pushed himself to the limit. He was very near to passing out.

All long distance races were going to start and the throwing events were already underway, but Silver was looking forward to a nice good bath when he got home. He soon entered the parking lot and walked around all the cars and vehicles. He was about to leave the area completely when he heard someone calling him.

"Excuse me! Mister Silver!"

Silver halted in his steps and turned to face a being he didn't think he'd stand face to face with at this very moment.

A human.

He was quite tall, very strongly built by the looks of it. His shoulders were broad, hair brownish gold and spiked and he wore a faded black trench coat. Silver waited patiently for the man to approach him. He seemed like he had something very severe at heart.

"Can I help you?" Silver asked politely, though a little irritated due to his fatigue. The human extended his hand and Silver took it with a firm grip.

"Actually, I was hoping to help you," the man stated in a non joke-ish way. They released hands after shaking and Silver furrowed his eyebrows in interest.

"What do you mean?"

The man's serious expression did not falter. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Tom Prestons. I was watching your race just now. Congratulations on making the preliminaries, by the way," he added politely, though no kindness betrayed his face.

Silver nodded in gratitude, but still felt wary of the man. "Thank you. Is there anything specific you wanted to tell me?" he pushed, wanting to get this over with. He was tired and he needed to get up at six AM for his morning jog. Then he had his regular routine after that, and then a technique session.

The man noted the vague impatience in the hedgehog's tone. "I won't beat around the bush then. I came here to warn you and the other hedgehogs."

Silver's tiredness faded. "About what?" He adjusted his bag, a little nervous.

"It's regarding the MOA," he admitted in a dark voice Silver wasn't predominantly fond of at that very moment. A foreign feeling shot up his spine and his eyes narrowed.

"Let's walk, Tom."

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_**A/N: And the plot resurfaces! Hasn't been that long since I've last updated. Just a week or two. I think.**_

_**Personally, I love this chapter. Shadow's scene is my favorite. I love making him a big softy.**_

_**That scene, with Blaze and Amy, is actually something that once happened to me after a netball game. We won against our rival team and my opponent was really upset. I cheered and praised her and the crowd kind of watched us hug and her sob into my shoulder. It was actually a very sweet moment and I made a good friend out of it.**_

_**Anyway, anybody remember Mr Prestons from chapter 16? Oh yeah, he's gonna kick ass…**_

_**THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed! I don't get much and people wonder why this story has so few, but it doesn't bother me anymore. Even if I only had one review by now, I'd still pour my heart and soul into this.**_

_**I don't own any characters or the song that inspired me to write this.**_

_**Thanks.**_

_**Love you guys.**_

_**(^^,)**_


	22. Chapter 22: There's This One Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_**You wanna show the world but no one knows your name yet . . . Wonder, when and where and how you're gonna make it . . ."**_

**Chapter 22: So There's This One Step . . .**

_Taking on the profession as an athlete is __both exigent and worthwhile. You must be able to deal with bringing up the rear and endearing a__t the matching moment in time._

_Staking one's hopes on meager or raw talent is not near enough to accomplish a successful career as a professional sports-participant. Hard work and sheer commitment lies ahead and would be demanded almost daily. An extreme level of fitness must be maintained to uphold a decent enough form to compete in even the most moderate competitions._

_Putting all physical requirements aside, a mental, emotional and instinctual sense must be managed. No other can teach or give one the ability to always remain stable in all of these categories. This power remains only within the athlete itself. _

_One's mind is the sole provider of strength and motivation for one's body. One's heart is the reason one's mind comes to focus. This all forms the base of any athlete's incentive for glory._

_Every athlete needs a reason to run._

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With the first round of the preliminaries done and dusted, the first official rounds were starting only four days after, with the semi-final and final rounds being held on the same day. It was nerving, above all others, but Amy felt content with her current status. All the while though, she barely had any more time to get even a smidge faster than she was by now. In spite of this, Cream had insisted on adding an extra half hour to her speed and track training. It proved strenuous on Amy's limit, but Amy knew Cream was very aware of this.

"This sport is all about pushing yourself to the limit," her coach told her while she was stretching down after one particular grueling session in the park. It was nearing seven AM. Amy looked up at her while pulling a face.

"But I don't want to exceed that limit," the athlete protested, switching her position from where she sat on the ground. She looked at her best friend's stern face.

It was incredible, how only in five weeks time, Cream had matured so drastically. As impressive as it seemed, it annoyed Amy sometimes though. Cream was still her best friend and she had a feeling Cream lost sight of that now and again. It was understandable. Amy knew Cream wanted her to win. Amy knew Cream wanted to help her win. Amy knew Cream wanted to be a part of that win.

Oh yeah. Amy knew.

The argument continued the whole while they walked down the path leading to the park's open gate.

"What if I burn myself out?" Amy asked.

"Look Amy, if you're really not up to pushing yourself farther, it's fine. I won't force you. I just thought it would give you a bigger boost for this Friday. We don't have a lot of time, after all," was Cream's reasoning.

"No, I guess you're right. Maybe we should push it up to another full hour and then leave out the gyms sessions completely?" Amy suggested.

"Or we could replace the gym sessions with some core and fitness training," Cream thought and both agreed this would be difficult to figure out. After a few minutes of discussion though, they decided they would ask Rogue what she thought and add it to the solution. The left the park and entered the street.

The sun was already rising and the street lamps had begun to fade in presence. Shops were starting to open, which left a hard dent in Amy's heart.

"I have to go clean out the flower shop sometime or another," Amy mumbled despondently. The bunny's ears drooped at this news and she patted her friend on the arm in support. They began to walk down the street.

"What's going to happen to it?" Cream asked, curious for once. Amy shrugged glumly.

"I don't know. Mr. Petal never left a will. I guess he wasn't expecting to leave so soon," Amy next to whispered, eyes glued to the ground as they walked down the streets of Station Square. "I was his only employee so the shop is technically my responsibility."

A familiar feeling settled down on her heart – a feeling she was solemnly beginning to push down to the best of her efforts. It was nearly impossible. Mr. Petal had passed and she was heartrending. That's how she described her grief – her heart was being trampled on whenever she thought of it. She had but one defense, but it was a taboo card to play.

Amy thought of Sonic.

How was he doing? Was he holding up better than her? He won yesterday –surely that would lighten his spirits. After all, he was the main attraction to this part of the Olympics. He ruled the speed event on Mobius. The press had him pinned down as the foremost focus concerning all partakers. Yeah, he was probably having the time of his life.

"Cream, I'll meet you back at the house," said Amy, stopping in her tracks. Her coach turned around to look at her with eyes that were scanning her in a searching manner. Whatever answer she was looking for, it didn't surface.

"Where are you going?" Cream asked.

"To get a muffin," replied Amy simply with a complete serious face. "I want to think a little."

It was just then did Cream's face remind Amy how young at heart the rabbit still was. None the less, Cream still tried to understand her friend's reasons.

Her posture turned stern and Amy felt her going into coach-mode once more. With her hands on her hips, the electricity sparked between her whiskers. This statement seemed to genuinely upset her.

"Why a muffin? Why not a bagel?" she asked, sounding offended.

"What's wrong with a muffin?"

"What's wrong with a bagel?"

"Cream, do you have an issue with muffins?"

"Do you have an issue with bagels?"

"Stop doing that!"

"Stop doing what?" Cream blinked innocently. It wasn't faked – seriously.

Amy face –palmed. "I'll see you later Cream." And she turned to leave in the opposite direction of the street. She didn't turn to look back when Cream yelled loudly back at her.

"Bring me back a bagel!"

After rolling her eyes, Amy secured her bag on her shoulder and moved on. The streets weren't so empty. There was already a lot of hustle and energy among the people. Joggers passed Amy now and again.

Then a boy on a bicycle tossed a newspaper at Amy, smiling knowingly. Amy caught it, confused, and before she could think of paying the boy or saying anything whatsoever, he sped past her, still smiling.

Her eyebrow furrowed in puzzlement and the upper left corner of the front page caught her eye immediately. Hey, it was her and Blaze waving into the camera! Amy started to slowly walk, scanning the article through intently.

_After a magnificent show of events, Blaze the Cat was placed fifth after suffering a near defeat by the hand of newcomer, Amy Rose._

Amy felt her eye twitch. Since when was she a newcomer? This was the first professional event ever held on Mobius. Didn't that classify everyone as newcomers? And why are they making it sound like she stabbed Blaze with a knife or something? Or even worse. A fork?

_Despite the fact that they had competed against each other and that Amy Rose had crushed her chances in the upcoming Olympic rounds-_

Another eye twitch followed.

_-Blaze was still very wholehearted on the idea of remaining friends. Both athletes were filmed congratulating each other and after a fulsome embrace, displayed a brilliant scene of sportsmanship. This could be presented as the best representation for the Olympics' launch: attaining new friends out of the experience and forming bonds that last for years after._

"_Amy was very nice to me," said Blaze after her run. "I know she'll do great in this competition and I'm supporting her all the way."_

_Amy Rose was unavailable for comment, but for a full length article on her progress to becoming an athlete, see page 6._

It was a small piece, including the picture and Amy decided that she was going to keep this article for a long time. Without even setting an expectation for the worst, she turned to page 6.

An entire page was focused mainly on her. She got excited seeing the professional photographed picture of her at the very top. It was taken while she had been running the race. Blaze was short on her heels. What attracted the most attention about the shot though, was the glowing logo on Amy's leg. She smiled.

Rogue was gonna like this a lot.

It was a surprisingly long article, mainly centered on her progress as a competitor, her sponsor and also Cream's comments in the Television interview from the Sport's Dinner. She decided she would read the article over a nice coffee and muffin and Amy went through the rest of the newspaper.

There was huge piece on Sonic, almost three pages. There was one article about the Sport's dinner and also a piece on Shadow and his rivalry with Sonic. She also found an article concerning the Shot Put event. A photo of Knuckles was among many of the other competitors. There were almost seven other articles on athletes she didn't know.

_La la la lalala la la_

Amy was still absorbed in the paper.

_La la la lalala la la_

Her ears picked up a familiar and oddly bothersome tune.

_Oh baby, baby, have you seen Amy tonight?_

Sighing, Amy made mental note never to let Cream pick her ringtone again as her phone rang from inside her bag. Setting the newspaper down along with her bag, she extracted her phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Amy. It's Sonic."_

Oh gods, why did he have to call her? And so early anyway?

"Hi Sonic. How are you?" she asked, still friendly towards him as always.

"_I'm better, and you?"_

"I'm great. What's up?"

"_Oh, nothing much. Just finished training,"_ he said, sounding somber.

Picking up her bag and paper, Amy walked on, giggling at Sonic's tone of voice.

"Me too. Did you see the Station Square Daily?" Amy asked, tucking the newspaper under her arm.

"_Yeah, just finished reading it through. That's a pretty sweet article they did on you,"_ he remarked and Amy felt herself smile. This was actually pretty strange for Sonic. Her article was quite lame compared to his three page editorial masterpiece – wouldn't he typically make a big deal out of that?

"I haven't really read it yet. I did read the article about Blaze and me on the first page though. Did you see it?" she asked, enjoying the conversation now. She suddenly missed the usual long phone chat she and Sonic would share. This was the first one in a long time.

"_Yep. It's a pretty cool one,"_ he admitted and for a fraction of a minute, Amy wondered what he was up to. In fact, she was about to ask but he cut her short.

"_Listen Amy, the reason why I'm calling is . . . well, we need to tell you something," _he explained in a grim voice.

"Who's 'we'?" Amy inquired, thrown off guard by the sudden change in mood of the discussion. She then heard a shuffle on the other side of the line and a new voice was heard in the background.

"_Will you just get it over with already? We're wasting time!"_ She heard an all too familiar tone of voice hiss a bit too loudly.

Amy blinked. "Shadow? Sonic, what are you doing with Shadow? I thought you hated him."

There was another shuffling noise in her ear. "_Oh, trust me. That hasn't changed,"_ said Sonic, the distaste for his rival made very clear.

"_Likewise, faker."_

"_Look, could you shut up, please? I'm on the phone."_

Resisting the urge to groan, Amy grew annoyed. "Look guys, what's going on? It's almost seven thirty and if I don't get Cream her bagel soon, she's coming after me with a spork."

"_What's a spork?"_ Sonic asked, rather dumb.

"_Who cares? Get on with it, you imbecile!"_

"_Will you just chill? Seriously dude."_

"Guys!" Amy yelled into her phone, getting a strange look from a passerby. An old woman gave her a scruff expression as she passed her.

'Keep walking lady,' Amy thought, now thoroughly irritated. Her attention was brought back to the phone.

"_Give me the phone!"_ She now heard a different voice, one she was also familiar with.

"Silver's there too? What the hell are you guys up to?" she exclaimed, growing worried.

"_Hello Amy. This is Silver-"_

"_Hey! Give my phone back, asshole!"_

"_Shut up, faker!"_

"_Can you meet us at the Café on the Corner of St Evans and Flurry Street? We'll tell you everything there."_

"_Get off me!"_

"_You asked for it!"_

"_We'll meet you there at eight."_

"_That was my face."_

"_Humph. Now it looks better than before."_

This was, up this point of her short life, the most maddening conversation Amy had ever had on a phone and, after feeling her sense for patience snap in half, hung up on the three idiots who had beaten her the day before. Still irritated, Amy quickened her pace and turned into a street, knowing well which café Silver had meant. She'd get her muffin and coffee there and, if luck was on her side, find a bagel for Cream. She could read her article while waiting for the three nimrods.

On the whole, she guessed she should be more apprehensive than exasperated. After all, it wasn't everyday she received a phone call from three guys . . . on the same phone . . . together . . . wanting to talk to her. The issue must be pretty serious if they were forced to call her . . . together . . . on the same phone.

Knowing this was going to be no pleasant social gathering of any kind, Amy felt her forehead crease at the thought of sharing a table with three boys she knew she had distinctive feelings for, one way or another. It had only just now become very obvious and clear to her. She was crazy, but she had her reasons.

Silver was a sweetheart. He was always friendly to her, courteous . . . a real gentlemen. He even saved her life once. No to mention he was pretty good-looking. The prefect guy. Still strong and determined when he needed to be, but mostly gracious and considerate.

Shadow was the dark, reserved yet still equally as handsome option. He had been kinder to her than ever, even tucked her in bed the other night. It was also a great deal thanks to him that Amy got on the right track concerning her training. He even gave her his pudding – of course she was going to fall for him. What girl doesn't fall for a guy who gives you his Apple Pie?

Sonic was different though. Amy was still over him, but knew she was rapidly falling for him all over again. She'd been thinking about him the whole morning. He'd comforted her at Mr. Petal's funeral. They had history, they were good friends and they'd been through a lot together – despite this, he'd never returned her feelings. Regardless, he always had a special place in her heart.

Amy Rose sighed.

When did her heart decide to split into three? Since when was she even giving her feelings thought anyhow?

Nothing more than a three crushes; of this she was certain. All three crushes, however, had the potential to turn into to something much more. Her heart was just waiting for her to choose.

'I don't wanna choose!' she thought stubbornly.

The specific café Silver had mentioned came into view and Amy began to panic.

'Crap! Who do I choose?' she thought desperately.

Wait a minute. She didn't have to choose. Who said any of them felt the same way about her anyway? Besides, Silver was friendly to mostly anyone. And maybe Shadow was just feeling under the weather nowadays – that would explain his sudden moments of compassion. And Sonic . . .

Oh god, she was right back where she started! After nearly two months of coping fine without any unrequited love interests, she found herself wound up right back where she didn't want to be. Except being only guy she was struggling with . . . it counted up to three. If anything, she should just give up on guys entirely.

Wait, no, that's just wrong.

Still wrestling with her thoughts, Amy entered the café, receiving many stares and glances she chose to ignore. Everyone had probably seen the paper by now. People were bound to recognize her. She almost didn't notice the waitress with the wide smile appear in front of her.

"Table for one?"

"Four. I'm waiting for the others," Amy answered, mentally cringing at the prospect. She soon found herself seated alone at a table, waiting in the corner for the waitress to bring her coffee . . . and blueberry muffin. She felt her stomach begin to twist and turn from nerves.

They had no bagels.

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**A/N: Wow, fun chapter much? Oh yeah, let the romance ensue, baby!**

**I think this is one of the few chapters that have got only one scene. I use a lot of scenes for chapters that are a bit more . . . nitty gritty.**

**So the three main pairings are going to be a bigger focus from now on.**

_**IMPOTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!**_

_**Guys, I need a beta. Seriously, I just need someone to look these things over for me before I post them up. Just give them a quick read through and I'll feel more at ease.**_

_**Any offers?**_

**I don't own any songs or characters (except the ones I make up . . . and kill off).**

**Thank you for all the wonderful people who reviewed!  
I'm just kidding. Only one person reviewed.**

**Thanks OddSakura. As always, you keep me going like no other reviewer. =D**

**I'm updating a lot faster than usual. I might have this thing finished before February!**

**EPIC EXCITEMENT TO THE MAX!**

**Love you guys**

**(^^,)**


	23. Chapter 23: Uh, the title? Shit

**One Step at a Time**

"_**You know you can, if you get the chance . . . In your face and the door keeps clamming . . ."**_

**Chapter 23: A Step to Insanity**

The 'meeting' hadn't gone as planned.

Amy waited patiently for her three fellow hedgehogs in the arranged café, happily finishing her muffin when her coffee mug was empty. Once they had finally arrived, it had only taken one hug from Sonic, two snide remarks from Shadow and one poke in the arm from Silver to create absolute and utter chaos.

Deciding she didn't want to get arrested for not having these three imbeciles on a leash –who all of a sudden seemed to constantly pick a fight with each other –Amy dragged, pushed and shoved all three boys out of the café, reminding herself that as long as people were staring, she could not curse out loud. It proved a challenge and Amy refused to listen to anything they had to say until they made it to her house, but the boys followed her down the street none the less (albeit still bickering non-stop).

In a billion years, Amy would never go anywhere when all three these guys were together. The taunts, comments and insults were becoming awfully unoriginal and rehearsed. Disappointedly, even Silver had lost his cool somewhere along the way. Shadow was starting to work up a sweat and Amy prayed to whatever greater force held power over this unfair world that Sonic would _not_ turn violent.

"Did you just try to trip me?" Sonic exclaimed, outraged after he had nearly met the pavement's wrath.

"Why, me? Of course not. I merely put my foot in front of you," Silver stated rather nonchalantly, shrugging as he placed his hand behind his head. His walk turned smug.

"You know, Silver. You turned out to be a real jerk-off," Sonic grumbled, pushing past Silver.

"Please excuse me. Shadow must be rubbing off on me," Silver commented dryly, shooting his other friend a knowing look.

"Shut up, you overgrown, land-walking silver sea-star," Shadow growled, balling a fist.

"No one asked your opinion, asshole!" Sonic voiced noisily, poking Shadow in the arm while they were all still walking. Shadow slapped it away.

"Damn it, faker. No one even cares about your opinion in general."

"My, you guys are childish. That article about your rivalry was pretty subtle. What did it say? 'A friendly squabble between close comrades'? I beg to differ." Silver snickered to himself causing both the others to narrow their eyes at him.

"That article was completely farced. I have to pummel the fool who dared to write something so pathetic."

"I'd have to agree with you on that," Sonic huffed, crossing his arms.

"Please don't. It disturbs me," said Shadow, glaring at the blue hedgehog loathingly.

"You really are a sour puss, ya know?"

"And you a blue ball of fur."

"How accurate."

"Is it now, Sea Star?"

"_Will you guys shut up already?_!" Amy yelled, turning around, arms thrown up impatiently. Her body language changed in a matter of seconds and she felt complete and downright annoyance build up in her like a 100 meter sprint she was running.

"Please stop driving me insane until we get to my place, please. Or I will be forced to get physical," she said, unpromisingly and slowly, green eyes fuming. Silver nodded guiltily, Sonic grinned sheepishly and Shadow seemed amused for the most part. There was only a slight pause where Amy took the time to regain her sanity and keep her breathing and temper under control. The boys unhelpfully stared in silence, each sporting their own personalized expression. Grunting at their imprudence, Amy turned around and made her way into her street.

The rest of the trip was peaceful for the most part, but Amy still threw a look or hawking glance over her shoulder cautiously now and again. Occasionally she heard a snort, sarcastic cough or deliberate "faker"-sneeze –courtesy of The Ultimate Life form himself.

It felt like it took an eon, but Amy soon grabbed her keys from her bag (which none of the boys had offered to carry – not that it mattered, but it would have been pretty polite in her opinion). Amy opened the door for them and walked, hedgehog after hedgehog.

"Meet me in the living room and I'll make you guys some coffee," Amy insisted rather impatiently after letting out a tired sigh. They said nothing and only made their way past the kitchen, Sonic leading the group.

Amy took the momentary separation as an opportunity to collect herself once she entered her small kitchen. She leaned over the counter, pausing before making her way to the kettle and extracting the milk from the fridge. After collecting all ingredients needed for coffee, Amy sneakily leaned out of the doorframe and glanced at the three sitting in pained silence on her couches.

There was something wrong with this picture.

Hadn't she raced against these guys only yesterday? And hadn't they beaten her at a fair pace? Sure, she beat Blaze – Rogue already assured her she (Amy) was the strongest female athlete competing at the moment. So that could mean that the three boys – all incidentally boys she had a certain amount of affection for – should still be ruled out as competition. Amy was sure that now, Cream had more than enough reason to skin her alive. Two reasons to be precise:

One for willingly inviting her rivals into her house.

Two for not getting the damned bagel.

Spitefully taking her time, Amy got all the mugs and stuff on a tray and balanced it without any trouble. When she got into the living room, Silver stood up to take the tray from her, but she easily and swiftly placed it on the table, pretending to not have noticed. He sat down, looking let down.

Amy took her own seat in her favorite arm chair and surveyed the boys surrounding her. Her heart beat pounded three times harder than it should have.

"You guys better have a good excuse for spoiling my morning muffin," Amy bit out, no humor coating her tone whatsoever. Truthfully, she was just plain pissed. Cream could hop in here any second and find her 'fraternizing with the enemy', well; there would be all hell to pay.

Silver spoke first. "Amy, we discovered something pretty serious. It concerns all hedgehogs." It was very straightforward. The mood in the room turned grim in a second.

"You mean all four of us?" Amy inquired, crossing her legs. She faintly felt the sweat from this morning's session begin to odor around her. Again praying to that force from before, she hoped no one would notice or take the time to smell her.

"Yes." He nodded. "You know who the MOA is, right?"

Amy didn't bother resisting the urge to groan. "Those guys who moved the trials earlier? The Mobius Olympic . . . something."

"Alliance."

"Whatever."

Shadow felt inclined to not be let out of the conversation. "You remember all those humans you saw at the Sport's Gala?"

Amy swallowed. She remembered that particular night too clearly. Her eyes shifted to Sonic, seeking mental comfort in a way. It somewhat worked when he flashed a forced and charming grin. His eyes had saddened over noticeably at the memory.

"Yeah, I remember them," Amy mumbled, finding her knees very fascinating.

"They are the Alliance," Shadow affirmed, leaning forward.

Amy felt something peculiar build up from this conversation. She sat more upright and then shifted her weight in her seat.

"Yeah, I know they're humans. What about them?"

"We think there's something fishy abut them," said Sonic seriously.

Amy waited expectantly, waiting for the blow. It never came.

"Well?" she pushed. All three looked confused.

"Well what?" asked Sonic. Amy widened her eyes edgily.

"Where's the proof?" she asked and they gave her an unsure look. Silver looked them over and when he saw they weren't going to respond, he leaned forward in his seat.

"Yesterday, after the race, a human came up to me," he explained and Amy remained silent. "His name is Tom Prestons. He's been living on Mobius for a few years now, mostly out of hiding. He was an agent working for an earth government but he refused to carry out their orders. He thought they were inhuman."

"Wait a minute, just hold on," Amy interrupted him. "You met a secret agent from earth?"

"He's retired now, actually," Silver piped up. Amy looked at the other two incredulously. Shadow only crossed his arms and Sonic merely shrugged.

"It's true Ames. I met him last night too."

"I also met him then after," Shadow explained relatively supportive.

Amy scratched her head. If they were agreeing on this, it should be accurate. She'd stake that on their competitiveness, at least.

"Then what's with this guy?" Amy urged Silver on. Shadow answered instead.

"He was staked out here to observe Mobians."

"You mean, spy on us?" Amy retaliated, calmly with a black face.

"Yes," Shadow nodded. "His job was to gather data on the physical abilities Mobians possessed – whether they harbored any physical gift that concluded them as exceptional."

"Why would the humans make him do that?" Amy asked innocently, feeling slightly overwhelmed, but keeping her cool all the same.

"Speed," Silver answered simply. "It is a rare collectivity on their planet. Only gifted humans have a talent for speed, and these human prove rather successful when acting out this career."

"It's a money thing too," Sonic went further. "You see, the athletes get the fame and good life, and the people sponsoring them get the loot. It's a pretty serious business. It's this whole political war thing."

"There are a few humans who are, as always, daring to go further than Mother Nature intends," Shadow said very soberly. "Athletics are the law on earth. It's a strict business they maintain and Sonic's not joking when he says they're keen on the money part."

Amy didn't know what took her off guard more: the fact that humans were turning greedy with speed or the fact that Shadow had called Sonic by his name. She'd contemplate it later.

"Is that why they were, you know, so eager on getting athletics on Mobius?" she asked, legs uncrossing and folding her hands in her lap nervously.

"According to Tom, it's all just a big scam to bring out the real speed machines," Sonic informed and Amy was unsure for a moment.

"You mean . . . you guys, right?" Amy didn't know how that came out. She wasn't even sure if it was her who was speaking. Her sentence suddenly made her wonder why they were telling her all this.

Sonic grinned. "All _four_ of us, you mean."

Shadow smirked. "Even if you are female, you remain a hedgehog."

Silver smiled. "And a fast one too."

Amy couldn't decipher what meant more to her at that moment: the fact that they had deemed her a worthy athlete or the fact that they were all agreeing on something. Her unsure thoughts were leaving her shaken. She resisted the urge to cry.

"Thanks guys," she mumbled shyly, feeling how her face flushed scarlet. Her eyes rested on her lap, too self-conscious to meet any of their gazes.

"I- we're worried about you though, Amy," Sonic then broke the ice, and Amy was jerked back into reality from her dazed state. Her eyes scrunched up when she didn't quite register Sonic's words.

"What do you mean? I'm fine," Amy pointed out. On the contrary, she felt magnificent. In fact, she was beginning to think having all three over didn't turn out as bad as she thought.

"We think the Alliance is after our speed," Silver said after taking a slow breath. Amy let the thought twirl around in her head for awhile before her common sense took over.

So it turned out that speed was pretty valuable to humans nowadays. She guessed as much, especially watching all those videos with Cream. The research did seem oddly detailed when it came to earth's mannerisms about athletics. Vaguely, Amy thought she should have seen this coming but pushed it aside.

Every now and again there were power hungry hypocrites – earth was bound to have some of their own. And if they were looking for speed from the hedgehogs, how on Mobius were they going to get it?

"But . . . how would they take the speed from . . . us?" she asked bit by bit, brain working furiously.

"You have to understand Amy. Earth is very advanced when it comes to technology. Don't underestimate them when considering that." Silver's voice hardened enigmatically and Amy gulped.

"Our speed is connected to our genes. It's in our DNA," Shadow clarified and she nodded. Amy remembered Cream had done a little research on that, but gave up when it wasn't producing any proficient answers. In this case, it most likely would have.

"Humans have this thing for playing with DNA. You know, cloning and all that stuff," Sonic shrugged again, and Amy was amazed at how well-informed he was, considering he had Shadow and Silver to compete with.

"They can basically do with it what they want. Alter it, change it, destroy it and even clone it," said Silver, never losing the serious look in his golden eyes. Not one time. Amy was sure that, since he had walked into her house, he hadn't dared to blink once. She kind of understood – this was a real eye-opener for her too.

"But they can also extract it," Shadow continued. Amy felt some fear rest on her legs. She subconsciously began to rub them.

"And when they can extract it, they can do all of the above," Sonic finished, giving her a look that asked whether she was keeping up.

"So, they will . . . they're gonna . . . Sonic?" she asked, almost pleadingly, unsure and effectively confused.

"They will take it for their own use," Shadow answered for him.

"Without asking," Silver added dramatically. Too much for her liking, though. Her head began to pound. She could hear Cream's voice in her head already.

_Crap._

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On their way walking to the gym, Amy explained everything to Rogue and Cream. Cream took it all very maturely, much to Amy's surprise. The bunny even loudly declared that it had been so obvious all along and that of course the humans were up to something. Rogue seemed a little more shaken, but felt inclined to be the grown-up in the conversation.

As they continued discussing it further, Rogue insisted that Amy would only train with security and protection now on. Amy wanted to object, not wanting to be a burden or complicate matters further, but Rogue was too serious about the matter.

"It's the perfect cover, actually," Rogue insisted with a sly look. "We'll say it's just to keep the fans and paparazzi away."

Reluctantly, Amy gave in. From tomorrow, she'd start training with personal body-guards. She distantly thought how the boys were going to protect themselves, but after some thought, figured they'd be fine. They were big boys after all. They lived for action and danger. Beating the bad-guys was at the top of their Resumes.

Cream was all up for exposing the MOA for what they really were and Amy supported the decision all the way, but knew it would prove futile in the end.

"We don't have enough proof," Amy acknowledged, relatively regretfully.

"But what about that Tom guy?" Cream argued. "He can vouch for us!"

"That's not enough, hon," Rogue explained, placing a soft hand on the girl's head. "The MOA have a lot of power over almost everything right now. The public is their biggest weapon at the moment." Cream was livid.

"So, what now? We're just going to wait for them to come and take Amy away?" The thought scared Cream to death.

"No, of course not," Rogue comforted her. "We put up a fight!"

This seemed to comfort Cream up to an extent, but Amy still saw the grave worry on her soft and young eyes. Amy was distracted by it for a moment before she realized Rogue was talking to her.

"Amy? Don't you worry about a thing, sweetie. I've got the best bodyguards in Station Square. You just keep yourself focused and let _me_ worry about the rest," Rogue assured her with a big smile Amy never saw her put on before. It calmed her somewhat and left her feeling incredibly grateful.

The rest of the way, the conversation turned to the articles about the Olympics. Rogue was ecstatic about the shot that highlighted her club's logo. She even mentioned cutting it out and framing it so she can hang it somewhere in the club – maybe behind the bar.

Cream took the time to read all the other articles and, after scanning it through once more, found an interesting piece. It was so minutely published, she'd almost mistaken it for add for a house or something.

"Amy, look at this," Cream pointed out, showing her friend the square at the back of the newspaper.

Amy's eyes widened. "It's . . . about Mr. Petal.

She snatched the newspaper from her coach without thinking and read through the article swiftly. It was so small and vaguely detailed; Amy wondered why they even bothered to put it in. What confused her even more was the fact that it was published today and Mr. Petal had passed away almost three days ago.

"What does it say?" Cream asked softly.

Amy put the paper down. "Not much. Just that he was a florist and he only had one employee. Basically, it's just about the heart attack."

"What's that part there?" Cream's finger pointed at three letters in the article.

Amy's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the familiar acronym. Everyone's ears picked.

"Oh my word," she muttered, completely blown away by the words.

"Read it out loud," Rogue insisted and Cream nodded in agreement. Amy tried her best not to choke on her words.

"'_Winston Petal, aged 68 before passing away the previous week, had been a candidate for a head chair on the MOA (Mobius Olympic Alliance). Sadly, before he could take on the offer given by the board, he was already deceased_.'," Amy ready out loud, nearly tearing the paper apart with her trembling hands.

The group was speechless, until Amy finally flung the paper on the ground.

"Before the MOA get's to _me_," she voiced out slowly with a deathly glare on her green eyes. "They'll have to _catch _me first."

And with that threatening statement, she took off in a pink blur, leaving her coach and sponsor in a small whirlwind of newspapers.

There was a moment of silence.

"We'll meet you at the gym then!" Cream called out, but Amy had been gone before they even registered she had been running.


	24. Chapter 24: A Pain In My Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_Now you're getting' more and more frustrated . . . wonder where end when and how you gonna make it . . ."_

**Chapter 24: A Pain in my Step**

The day before the finals Amy began to feel herself reaching her major conditioning level. Never before had the wind whirled around her hair and ears so enthusiastically. She'd never felt more strong or fit and not to mention, fast.

'_I'm in my prime,'_ she thought to herself after the last training session. Amy was walking alongside Cream down the street from the park, the place she'd been training at for the last few weeks. It suddenly came to mind that Amy had no idea where the other athletes were training. Wasn't there a training field built?

Though, in her opinion, the Olympics had been very sloppily prearranged. Many things weren't set right. If anything, this could only explain how greedy and impatient the MOA was being. Amy thought villains usually bid their time, but these guys were pretty stupid.

"Amy?"

Cream's voice broke her out of her stupor. Amy merely shot her coach a curious glance as they passed familiar shops and street's names. Cream seemed like she wanted to say something she knew she shouldn't. For a fraction of a minute, Amy thought she saw her fake a look of serenity before she turned into the same stubborn-faced bunny as always.

"Maybe you should consider withdrawing from the competition," Cream suggested in a low voice. Amy's face went blank as she froze in her steps. Her body language turned stiff as she looked down at her best friend with large eyes.

Cream paused in front of her and turned until she was facing her. Amy's sported an expression of utter disbelief and shock – and somewhat hurt and betrayed.

"You're kidding me." It came nothing more than a deadly whisper off her lips, but Amy wished she could have shouted it for the world to hear. Cream tried to remain impassive, but soon broke out into a worried frown when she saw Amy shake her head.

"It could be dangerous. The bodyguards left us even before the training session was over! Talk about lame. I'm sending a complaint in to Rogue-"

"I'm not quitting."

Cream looked at Amy with big eyes, casting aside the fact that she was interrupted (which would have bothered her under normal circumstances).

"What if you get hurt? What if these Alliance guys come after you?"

Amy shook her head once more. "I won't let that happen."

"Oh, what, you think you can take them on?" Cream asked a little louder than she intended.

"_You_ think I can beat Sonic and the others! Who's to say these guys can catch me then?" Amy demanded, getting close to a shout. A couple passing the pair spared a curious glance before hurrying past the two girls.

"I don't want you to take that risk," Cream began but Amy threw her bag down in anger and visibly went red of anger in her face.

"Risks? What risks? There are no risks!" she yelled, hands flying up in exasperation. "I'm not withdrawing and I'm not giving up! I've come this far already! How can you tell me to just give up after all the hard work and sweat I put into my training?"

"I'm not telling you to give up!" Cream retorted, cheeks puffing up in annoyance. "I just don't want you to get hurt!"

"Forget it! It's not like you understand! You're just a kid anyway!" Amy suddenly lost her calm mind. She snapped and turned to leave.

A hurt look shot past Cream's eyes. Amy ignored it.

"You think you're an adult then? Huh? You think you're all grown up and know what the world is about?"

"I know more then you!" she snapped over shoulder, her pink locks falling out of her pony-tail in a jerk. She felt her teeth grind together in frustration at Cream's ignorance.

Cream didn't understand. She wasn't an athlete. She didn't train her ass off for weeks on end. She didn't endure days of pain and exhaustion. She didn't understand the pressure from the opposition. No, Cream didn't understand anything – Amy was sure.

"Amy, wait-"

"Forget it Cream! I'll do this on my own!"

And with that final announcement, she stepped forward to storm off. What Amy forgot though, was her bag lying on the ground in front of her. In her furious shuffle throughout the fight, she did not notice the straps tangling around her feet.

It took only one furious jerk of the foot that yanked her out of balance, threw her body out from under her feet and sent her tumbling to the ground with wide eyes. Cream could only stand and watch in silent horror as Amy hit the pavement hard. She cringed when she Amy's ankle twist inhumanly.

A sickening crunch was heard before Amy screamed out in pain.

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Sonic was fairly relaxed this time of day. It was two in the afternoon, he had gone through two intense training sessions, he'd enjoyed a peaceful nap on the couch and had played a game of card with Tails who he'd been hanging out with the whole day. Tails had suddenly taken to accompanying Sonic to his training sessions. Sonic guessed this was due to Cream's preoccupied coach schedule and Tails had less company than before. Sonic didn't mind though – having Tails there sort of pushed him to perform and he liked to perform.

He and Tails were still on the couch. Tails was playing a video game and Sonic was lounging on his back, enjoying the sudden lulls of sleep that would wave like a wand over his eyelids. Tails would let out a groan or gasp now and again but Sonic paid him little thought.

Amy was everywhere. There; he said it. But it was true. She was in his thoughts, his dreams and pretty much everywhere he could account for. He had no idea when he'd grown so attached to her image or started to feel so strongly for her – on some level, he felt like Amy had changed.

Yeah, he fell in love with the new Amy. And he liked her a lot.

A sudden vibration from his pockets tickled him out of his thoughts. Sighing at the interruption, he bent his back upward so he could pull out his phone. The caller ID read Amy. Sonic smiled to himself and answered with a grin.

"Hey Ames."

"Sonic? I-Is that you?" It wasn't Amy. For a minute, Sonic wasn't sure who the hell it was. By the sounds of it, the girl was young, sobbing and hiccupping as well.

"Who is this?" he asked, sitting upright. A nauseating chill shot up his spine when he heard a wail in the background.

'_Is that Amy?'_

"It's Cream. Sonic, please help. Get over here! I-I didn't know who else to call!"

"What's going on? Cream? Where are you? What the hell happened?" Sonic was on his feet in less than a second. Cream suddenly reentered his mind. Sonic understood why he couldn't recognize her over the phone - he'd never heard her cry before. Tails shot him a worried look and let his game fall to the ground, un-paused.

"A-Amy fell! I-I think she b-broke something!" Cream let out a choked sob and then Sonic heard her 'shhhhh' to someone in an attempt to be soothing. Sonic heard another pained wail.

His ear twitch.

His face went pale.

He was feeling dread creep up on him like a shadow.

"Where are you?"

"Near the gates a-at the park. Sonic, her leg –it's all twisted. S-she's in so much pain," Cream choked out once more. By now Sonic had heard enough. He was sure he would break out in tears too if he continued with this conversation.

"Keep her still. Don't move her even an _inch_! I'm there in less than thirty seconds." He put the phone down without a greeting and turned on Tails.

"Call an ambulance. I'll be right back."

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It took Sonic only five minutes and forty-three seconds to get to Amy and Cream **and **bring Amy back to Tails' garage. It took him one glance to see her leg had clearly suffered a broken bone or fracture – he wasn't entirely sure what.

It took the ambulance eleven minutes and seventeen seconds to get to the garage. The paramedics had her in the ambulance in less than two minutes. Cream and Sonic were allowed in and Tails was ordered by Sonic to let the others know – he called everyone that came to mind in a time of nineteen minutes and fifty-seven seconds.

They reached the hospital in less than twenty minutes. Amy was crying continuously and Cream held unto her hand for Amy to squeeze. Sonic stood one sided as the paramedics examined her leg and talked in hushed whispers – making only allegations and speculations.

Amy was rushed to a doctor for proper examination in less than ten minutes. The doctor allowed both Cream and Sonic in the room while he felt and lightly poked at Amy's leg joints – he did this for a painful twenty minutes.

He explained the problem in a time of half an hour.

Amy had broken her tibia – her shin bone. After that sentence, every other Mobian in the room stopped listening to the doctor's explanation.

The broken athlete went pale in three seconds. "C-Can I run?"

The doctor looked serious. "We'll have to get you to walk first, dear."

"But I have finals tomorrow! Tell him Sonic!" she exclaimed, accidently jerking her body and causing a wave of pain to hit her. The doctor ushered her to keep still and Sonic only gave him a questioning look to which the man only shook his head in a final manner.

Amy went still in silent shock. Cream wasn't crying anymore, but Amy let out all tears she'd ever been hiding in her life. She kept quiet through it all though. Not a sound left her pale lips. Sonic could only watch and talk some comfort now and again –reassure her. He was there for her. He would help her through it all. But Amy was devastated. She wasn't even listening as the doctor was scheduling an operation for her in an hour or so.

It took Amy only one small moment of stabbing realization to grasp that her chances of victory, were over and done.

It was over.

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Amy was soon after sent into an operating theatre. Sonic and Cream left her for the waiting room. For Sonic, it was the most painful goodbye he'd ever had to witness.

Cream had said something about Amy being strong enough to handle this and they'd get her up and running in no time. Amy had only given her a small pained smile through some dried up tears, but gave no valid response. Sonic had softly stroked her head and gave her kiss on the forehead for support. He didn't know if it helped, but hoped she would be okay.

It wasn't even an hour later when the waiting room was full of all Amy's friends.

Shadow was the first to burst through the doors, obviously lost of his usual calm demeanor. Cream and Sonic informed him about everything and he sat and listened in silence. By the end he speculated and voiced that this was the worst possible accident coming at the worst possible time.

Next was Rogue and Knuckles but Silver came in only a minute after them. Again, everything was explained and retold. Rogue broke out in tears and Knuckles was soon comforting her while escorting her to the hospital's café for some coffee. Silver was struck dumb and said nothing. Tails soon entered the room and Sonic quickly briefed him and thanked him for his quickness on the ambulance. Tails nodded silently and left to comfort Cream, who had started to cry softly into his chest when he started to speak in hushed tones.

Sonic thought that was everyone, but an unexpected visitor soon came through the doors.

"Blaze?" Silver blinked, standing up from his seat. Blaze nodded in acknowledgment and walked up to Silver to get informed about Amy. Tails frowned. He hadn't called her. How did she know?

The group sat in silence for a while. Cream had stopped crying again and so did Rogue, who was only sniffing somewhat. Shadow took the time to think and stare out the window. Silver left with Blaze to fetch food for everyone. Knuckles was tapping his fingers on the table.

Amy was pushed out of the theatre only two hours later – it took a little longer because they were struggling to find the injured joints. A few bones were fractures but only some were cracked.

She seemed pale and slightly sedated. Everyone stayed in their seats, not wanting to overcrowd or overwhelm her. Amy took a dizzy look around the room and saw everyone standing, waiting for her to say something. She shook her head softly and the nurses checked whether her cast was secure.

"Guys," she spoke a little weakly. "Don't look so serious. I don't have cancer or aids or anything."

One of the nurses sniggered and gave her a soft pat on the head. The room felt a wave of relief sweep over everyone present. They stepped forward to greet her one for one. Amy was pleasantly surprised to see Blaze step up and first too.

"Good luck Amy. I hope you feel better," was all she said before shooting her friend a smile and leaving the room. Amy appreciated it, though didn't get why Blaze was always so few of words. Must have been the way of the Blaze.

Shadow stepped up next and only gave her hand an unsure pat. Amy grabbed his hand before he could take it away and gave it a weak squeeze. He smiled a little and placed a small kiss on the back of her hand, forgetting there were others present. They exchanged a few words and soon Shadow left, feeling two fakers' eyes burn into him.

Silver made sure he was not forgotten and rubbed Amy's arm reassuringly. He offered more comfort with his words than his actions. Amy was strong, she'd recover quickly. He'd make sure of it. He went on for a while and then left her with only a smile of his own.

Knuckles and Rogue was at her side then. Rogue seemed devastated.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Amy. You don't deserve this. No athlete who worked as hard you do, does."

"It's okay Rogue. I can win next time."

Doubt lingered behind ever word Amy forced through her throat – Rogue could tell. Not wanting to upset her further, they bid their goodbyes and left soon after. Only Sonic, Tail and Cream were left.

Cream walked up, close to breaking down. Amy felt so bad – the pain in her leg couldn't compare to the pain and regret she felt for Cream. Cream was her best friend. Cream was always there. Cream was the support. Cream understood.

"I-I . . ." Cream whispered. "So sorry, Amy."

"Don't leave me," Amy whispered back and Cream only nodded giving her arm a small hug and turning to stand next to Tails.

Sonic walked forward and even where she lay on a hospital bed, in intense pain and groggy from her sedatives, she could make out every detail on his body. His quills, blue and spiky – impressive. They've always impressed her. They made her limp and saggy quills seem pretty lame.

"Sonic," she began, close to breaking down herself. "Thank you."

Wordlessly, he smiled and only bent down to leave a soft peck on her lips. Had she been in her right mind, she would have fainted on the bed right there. The nurses coughed and shooed them away, claiming Amy needed her rest and they could visit her the next day. They pushed her away while she sat, somewhat blushing and a little dazed. One of the nurses heard her cringe and wince at the pain in her leg and asked whether it hurt too badly.

Amy shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. Either way . . . I'm screwed."

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_**A/N: I'm horrible.**_

_**Okay, let me redo this Author's Note. I was too tired to type anything the other night. You'll notice this chapter isn't as detailed as the others. I wanted a fast pace here. Because accidents like this happens so quickly, time flies by like hell's speed on fire.**_

_**Thank you for Fifty reviews! After one and a half year, I've hit the halfway mark. I'm going for a hundred some time or another.**_

_**And thanks to all who reviewed, will review and couldn't review due to broken tibias (it's really painful breaking one). This is where the plot thickens (more). I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves so far. PLEASE drop me a comment for the reviews. I'm not really in the mood for flames but some overly friendly constructive criticism is okay.**_

_**I can't believe I've come so far with this story. You know, it's not freakishly long, but it took me a long time to get together. I've decided no more than thirty to thiry five chapters (depends when the damn song's gonna end).**_

_**Love you guys SO MUCH!**_

_**(^^,)**_


	25. Chapter 25: In a Moment Like This

**One Step at a Time**

"_We live and we learn to take one step at a time … there's no need to rush .. It's like learning to fly .. or falling in love …"_

**Chapter 25**

That night, laid down on the small hospital bed in her room, Amy felt the shadows in the corners creep up on her as the moon rose further and further up into the blackened sky. The nurse had come to switch off her light an hour or so ago – Cream had left right then. Naturally, Cream refused to leave Amy's bedside, but Amy insisted she go home and get rest so she can come and visit in the morning. Reluctantly (with puffed up cheeks) Cream took her leave and Amy battled with her heart as she found herself alone and abandoned.

The moonlight poked through her window's curtains, giving her the light to set her green eyes on the cast in front of her. The pain had dulled some time ago. It had become nothing more than monotonous background music she didn't listen to anymore.

Is this what it had come down to? After months of hard work, aspirations, pain, sweat and tears, this is the conclusion? And a day before the final competition? Amy checked the clock against the wall – the moonlight gave her the indication that it was already past midnight. The finals would start in a few hours. The nurse would come in, open up her window, bring her breakfast and turn on the television against the wall so she can watch Sonic, Shadow and Silver run the race she was meant to be in.

It hurt. More than anyone could imagine, the pain was deeper than anything she'd ever come across. If only she'd been more careful. If only she hadn't lashed out on Cream, her best friend and closest buddy, she'd probably be at home, resting with a nervous lump in her chest that left her too excited to properly shut off. She would have woken up early, had breakfast with Cream and Rogue, drive to the stadium, warm up and focus on that medal she so badly wanted.

It wasn't fair. Sonic would most likely win, but Amy was willing to bet Shadow and Silver was eager to beat him silly –put him in his place and teach him a lesson they've wanted to for so long. She'd only just the other day realized how intense the rivalry had in fact become. It was astounding how determined they were to set the score straight and prove themselves worthy.

Worthy of what though? What was the prize? That stupid gold medal that had been haunting her in her sleep for the past week? The fame? The glory? Maybe it was some kind of pride thing. Perhaps they just did it for fun to keep themselves busy. Now that Amy stopped to think about it, there hadn't been too many bad guys around for them to beat up. They were probably bored stiff. Did any one of them ever think of getting a job … like she did?

Idiots. They had no idea how lucky they were. Here she was, sulking in a hospital bed with four painful metal screws operated into her leg while they ran around parading like they've already won. Okay, in a sense, she guessed she was exaggerating. They _had_ come to visit her and Sonic even helped her a lot.

She snorted. Again, only the damsel in distress, saved by the blue blur and town hero, was she, Amy Rose. It was annoying. So annoying, in fact, it nauseated her.

Amy lay back on her pillow, shifting slightly at her discomfort of not being able to switch positions. Her leg was paining up again, but she fought down to ignore it, too irate and irritated to even give a damn. This was the worst possible thing that could happen to her, she believed.

There was no will to cry. She had done all her crying and was done for good. There was nothing left to be sad about. Every possible goal Amy had listed for herself, was non-existent because she – Amy Rose – had gotten cocky and over-confident. Inwardly, she laughed at herself. She had started to act transparently like Sonic the Hedgehog himself. That's great. Just perfect. Peachy, in fact.

Her phone suddenly vibrated on the stand beside her and she stretched to reach for it, throwing her temporary hissy-fit aside. Too annoyed by her current status to care about being texted in the middle of the night, Amy opened the message sent to her.

'_Hey Ames. Thinking about you. I'll come to see you 2morrow be4 the race. =D'_

Sonic? Amy racked her eyes. Did he really just send that? She checked the time and details on the message – yes, he had definitely sent it not even more than a minute ago. Was he awake then? Her face heated up – he was thinking about her.

He was probably worried. She appreciated it, but something at her heart tugged to say that she didn't want him coming in to check up on her before the finals. She wouldn't be able to stand it. It was uncomfortable enough after the stunt he had pulled the day before – kissed in her front of everyone, didn't he? Oh yeah, he's a big shot all right and like some pathetic child with a crush she'd reacted exactly the way he wanted her too. Amy's eyes narrowed at the text.

After some thought, she guessed she was being unfair. Sonic had grown up too somewhat, but he sent the text like he thought she was awake anyway. Did he know her that well?

She put the phone down on her lap, choosing to stare out the window at the moon instead – it was full and bursting with an unconventional glow. It reminded her of Silver in a way. It took an embarrassing moment later to realize she actually missed his company, even if she could only settle for his silent yet powerful presence, it would be more than enough.

No, Silver would be too awkward in a situation like this. She wouldn't know what to say to him anyway.

There was a still moment that graced through her room and her thoughts died down for a while. She still couldn't muster the will to fall asleep. Truthfully, she felt lonely and hoped she could just get up and hop her way out of the hospital – maybe steal a wheelchair on the way out.

Her mind was interrupted when a soft tapping noise reached her ears. She turned to see a shadow in the window and she almost screamed if the light of the moon hadn't hit his form moments before she blinked her eyes in confusion.

'_Shadow?'_

He signaled to her in greeting and it took her only a second to comprehend how happy she actually was to see him. Her heart picked up and she pushed herself off the bed with effort, swinging her cast over the sheets so it can dangle uselessly. Ignoring it, she pushed herself up and skillfully hopped on one strong leg to the window where she opened it up for him climb into her room.

"Shadow!" she whispered, smiling when he pushed himself of the window sill to stand beside her and close the window for her. He offered his own egotistical smirk and flashed intense crimson eyes at her.

"Amy," he greeted and Amy felt her heart pick up when he said her name. It was a bit overwhelming and she guessed this was why she lost balance, what with only standing on one foot and all. Shadow saw it and caught her around the waist in swift catch and then promptly picked her up and carried her to her bed.

It had all happened to fast.

"Uh," was all Amy got out. "What are you doing here? The nurse will kick you out if she catches you here."

"She won't catch me." He set her down, surprisingly gently and she pushed herself in a comfortable position, setting her cast straight so she wouldn't cramp up. The weight of the cast was surprisingly heavier than she imagined it'd be and it was a little distracting.

At the moment, she was very self-conscious about herself. Her hair was dirty and messed up, she was wearing her yellow pajama dress and there were probably bags under her eyes too. Great timing Shadow, really.

"I came to visit," he said, a little nervous by the way her fidgeted with his fingers. Amy thought it was priceless and savored the moment – no way was she ever going to see The Ultimate Life Force get nervous again. This was gold.

"Thanks, but you should actually be resting. You have a big … race tomorrow." A lump got caught in her throat and her voice cracked a bit at the interval. Shadow did not fail to notice and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, taking a seat on the side of her bed.

"I don't care about the race that much," he answered, capturing her eyes with his. They were so intense; she couldn't bear the sight of them. "I was more worried about you."

Her heart skipped a beat when he took hold of her hand after that. She saw him take a breath and then she totally started freaking out when he started to look like he was preparing himself for something big.

'_Please don't kiss me … please don't kiss me … please don't kiss me … please don't-'_

"I think I can fix your leg."

Amy blinked.

"What?"

**A/N: Another short chapter because … the story is almost finished. Yeah, few more chapters ought to do it. I can't believe I finally wrote this – it's been burning inside me for ages.**

**Sorry for the slow update and sorry for the lack of … anything you were expecting. The action comes in a bit later. As well as some more painful romance.**

**Okay, there has been some debate among my internet friends and reviewers about who Amy should end up with. Don't worry, I've got it all planned out perfectly and I think you will all like the match I chose for her. I hope so, anyway. Don't guess who, it'll only confuse everybody.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed.**

_**OddSakura**_**, thanks, as always, you rock my socks. May you be blessed with copious amounts of pudding and good weather.**

_**Shadowstarwolf**_**, thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.**

_**Bubbles**_**, you're right. Sonic is a douchebag. =D**

**And then to '**_**one who doesnt know love'**_**:**

**Listen to me dear, you know what love is. Trust me – God made you as a human being with a soul – you were born to love. Although, it's really hard to give a solid and valid definition about love, you know in your heart when you love someone. Whether you're young or old, love is something that comes easiest to you, regardless of the type of person you are and who you are too. Don't forget that sweetie. God bless you. (^-^)**

**I'm thrilled you like the story and I put a little extra Shadamy in for you, just because your review was what reminded me to update again.**

**Thanks, lots of love to all of you.**

**(^^,)**


	26. Chapter 26: SideStepped

**One Step at a Time**

"_It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen when we find the reason why … One step at a time … "_

**Chapter 26: Side-stepped**

**Amy Rose**

My mouth agape, my eyes bulging and my leg infested with a crawl-like pain, I stared at him. For a moment, I thought he was pulling some sick twisted joke on me, but seeing as this was a guy who called himself "The Ultimate Life Form", I should have known better. Shadow scrutinized my reaction wryly, almost hesitant to say something. His mouth opened and closed. He blinked. I blinked. He coughed. It was finally after I took a moment to build a bridge and get over the present awkward moment, did I gather my thoughts and decided to speak.

"Again, I say, _what_?" I emphasized by bopping my head and pointing both my index fingers at the cast lying in front of me. Shadow barely gave any kind of expression to my disbelieving response – he remained cool and composed as always. Funnily enough, he still didn't speak. I noticed he was leaning away from me now, subtly trying to fill some space between us. My hand shot out and I gripped his collar with a throttlehold I never knew I owned. With a jerk that seemed to thaw the haughty air around him, I brought him down to eyelevel and hoped the rippling pain in my eyes stabbed the deadly red ones of his own.

"Don't – _joke_ – about this!" My tongue slashed against my gritted teeth like a chainsaw and my fist trembled while it strangled the material of Shadow's jacket. I was starting to sweat. Shadow fought hard to remain unfazed, but I felt him cracking under my piercing leer. He bit down on his tongue and closed on eye.

"Amy, relax," he insisted in a forced whisper, nearly spitting on me. A minute ago I was overjoyed to see him, but at the moment his very presence mocked me. I didn't know what propelled me to let go of him – perhaps it was his daunting looks so close to my face, or perhaps it was one of the rare occasions where he actually used my first name – but my fingers unlatched from his jacket's collar and I pushed him away, my back hitting my pillow. Shadow seemed disorientated for a second, stumbling before he cleared his throat and waited for me to lock gazes with him.

"I'm completely serious," he said and I raised an eyebrow. "And I can do it tonight too."

From where the moon glowed down like a spectacular beacon, I finally saw the light. It cleared my eyes like I'd always been blind and Shadow's lustrous outline waked over me like a dark angel. It took me some time to find that I was crying.

"How? How can you do it? What can you do? Look at me!" I virtually shouted, forgetting I was in a hospital where somebody was bound to be awake. Ignoring it, I went off. "My leg is _broken_, because I _TRIPPED_!"

Shadow stepped forward in whirl of red and black. Some darkness curled and danced before my eyes. A viselike grip took hold of my wrists, brought it above my head and pinned them against the bed. A soft gasp escaped me when I noticed Shadow leaning over me like a thief – the only difference was, his face held no greed. He was showing me compassion, concern and … _care_. His eyes held the faintest tinge of something I had once seen in the mirror – it was months ago – before summer was even considered. My breath hitched in my throat and my heartbeat picked up.

"Shadow." That was all I could muster. The trails of my tears still stained my cheeks. My throat was sore from crying again and I felt like a loser. I didn't want him to see me like this. Shadow let me go when he thought it safe. Then, again with no warning, he skillfully slid his warm arms under my legs and brought me to his chest, picking me up in a swift movement.

"Shadow!" I exclaimed, clinging on to him, my cast keeping me off balance. He hitched me up, took a steady hold of me and turned away from the bed whilst carrying me to the direction of the window. A throb of pain burst through my leg like a broken egg on the ground. Almost like he sensed my discomfort, Shadow stopped. Uncharacteristically, he gently set me on the floor and searched around in his pockets. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up his hand to silence me. My mouth shut in spite of wanting to know what the hell his problem was.

Something glinted. Shadow's fist came out of his pocket, clenched around something shaped and stubby, like a dirt clod. He held it in the moonlight for me to see. Now, from where I sat on the cold floor (to which I was relocated after Shadow decided the bed was wayyyyy too comfortable), I could make out the object was a type of jewel or diamond.

It was much smaller than a Chaos Emerald. It was a transparent emerald jade with a violet afterglow you could only noticed if you narrowed your eyes – which I did do, after all, because I was missing the following question's answer:

"Shadow, what the hell?"

"This is a gem that I created a while back," he explained, still crouching in front of me whilst showing it to me in his palm. I tried to find out what was wrong with this picture, figured I would forget it in the morning anyhow and then promptly gave up on it and gave Shadow my full undivided attention.

"Looks more like a rock," I remarked. Shadow huffed, not amused.

"It most certainly is not just a _rock_! It is a combination of years of experience from handling and using the Chaos Emeralds that brought this piece of brilliance before you."

"Oh, my apologies, Mr. the Hedgehog."

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No, it's supposed to be hilarious," I spat out and pulled a face. "Why am on the floor?"

"Give me minute, don't rush. I'm going to fix your leg using this," Shadow said, pointing at the 'rock' in his palm. "It has healing properties – with some elements that was supplied from the Master Emerald, it can mend your broken bone, but I can only do it with your consent."

Silence rippled through our conversation like an unexpected wave on radar. I was beginning to remember why Shadow had come to visit me in the hospital in the first place. I didn't belong here, on the cold floor, with a red and black hedgehog crouching in front of me, practically shoving a rock up my nose with haughty earnest. No way in hell did I want to wake up in a few hours, turn on the TV and watch a race I had to be in? No. Way. In. Hell. My reality was slowly sinking back in – the walls were suddenly colorful and the roof not a fragment of my imagination. Pain hit my limb like a pulsating wave of bombs. I was only just beginning to note it. Shadow's eyes intensified, my head nodded slowly and he lowered the gem to my leg.

It began to glow. It flashed colors of green and purple that stung my eyes. Trembling waves of light and power surged up my bones and muscles – I seemed to receive strength in all shapes and forms to almost all corners of my body. My mind cleared up. I felt reborn. When the light had faded and my head was spinning in turbulence from the sensation, I saw Shadow still in the same position as a moment before. He locked eyes with me for a second, swiftly moved and cracked my cast with his fingers – he was stronger than I last remembered.

The cast shattered around me in pieces, some of it retained to dust under Shadow's crush. Some of it had scraped my leg, leaving faint red cuts that barely stung. Circumspectly, I shifted my leg, felt no pain and breathed out. Then, feeling more daring, I wriggled my toes and grinned when no wave of nausea hit me. Next, I stretched my ankle, watching it move side to side with silent glee. Shadow watched, with unspoken contentment, as I marveled in my newfound strength. I looked up at him, tears of happiness brimming at the corners of my eyes. I smiled and then sniffed.

"I- I can … never thank you enough," I ended in a whisper, finding it relatively easy to stand up. He hesitated whether or not to assist me, but I was already on my feet before he could reconsider.

This was incredible. Was I dreaming? No, there was none pain whatsoever. I shifted my weight from leg to leg. It was like I had never gotten hurt in the first place. My focus returned to Shadow and his soundless gaze hung over me. Something swelled up in me like a balloon. My face stretched into the biggest smile I had ever pulled. I jumped forward – he probably thought I was going to hug him and he opened his arms for my embrace. I side-stepped his arms, jolted for the window and swung my leg over the sill after forcing it open, by the time Shadow had turned around, his face utterly baffled.

"Thanks Shadow! I'll see you at the race!" Luckily my room was on the first floor, so I had barely six feet to jump down. My feet met the grass of the hospital's yard and, forgetting the guy in the room behind me, yelling after me to come back, sprinted full speed to Cream's in my pajamas.

I was there in less than five minutes.

_**A/N: Buhja, BITCHES! Guess who's back, better than ever? You guessed it! Mama's got you guys a fine gift today!**_

_**Wooh, I am PUMPED!**_

_**Okay, BIG apology for the long wait – I've probably lost some fans *searches for OddSakura* You guys out there? Man, I feel horrible, but I've been caught up in the busiest school-time of my life.**_

_**This chapter is … cool, I guess … poured my newly attained writing skills into it – courtesy of reading my new book collection. **_

_**Amy, you bastard, I love you. Shadow? Yeah, sorry dude, maybe you'll get some love next time.**_

_**Second last chapter that will be written from Amy's perspective I think – the last one is the last. Think there are about six or seven chapters left. I don't know …. Depends when the bloody song's gonna end.**_

_**Review, because I suck and I'm not allowed to vote. **_

_**Reviews make my day.**_

_***Somewhere in this chapter is a Grue. You will all die***_


	27. Chapter 27: Insert StepNamedChapter Here

**One Step at a Time**

"_When you can't wait any longer … "_

**Chapter 27: Insert Step-Named-Chapter here**

Heart racing at the speed of light, Amy worked her way through obstacles such as picket fences and close-cut-corners, keeping in mind that time was running thin and she had yet to celebrate her new-found potency. Cream's house was luckily not as far from the local hospital, but Amy was confident the incredible level of fitness she had built up would've carried her half-way around the city. It took, as said before, not even five minutes to get to Cream's, but to Amy it felt like a fast-paced hour had ticked by. When she stood still in front of her house, panting and sweating in a state of personal brilliance and accomplishment, she rang the bell twice without thinking – adding to the fact that it was near enough three in the morning.

It took three more rings and ten minutes wait and by the time the door gradually swung open, Amy had begun to feel her previous wave of exhilaration die down slightly. A pair of bunny ears emerged when the door opened and there stood Cream in all her glory, rubbing her eyes cutely as she yawned at her guest. Cream's head rose steadily as she surveyed Amy in a sleepy state. Cream blinked hard – twice.

"Amy?"

Amy nodded, smiled a spectacular set of teeth and pointed down at her cast-less leg, at which Cream blinked twice –hard again. Unbelievably, Cream rubbed her eyes once more, clearly thinking this was either a dubious dream or a trick of the light. Cream's eyelids squinted. She was still considerably weighed down with sleep.

"But – you leg … how? When did … ? Huh?"

Amy drew her in an excited and powerful hug, squealing with glee. It seemed to have an effect, because when Amy set her down, Cream's eyes were wide and her face seemed awake. They still stood in the doorway, the warm summer's evening washing over Cream's porch.

"Shadow fixed it!" Amy exclaimed in an overjoyed whisper and then lifting her leg for Cream to see in the moonlight. Cream's eyes focused on her leg for a moment and then she thought to herself by studying the ground.

"He told me he had an idea that might work. I didn't think he was serious. I didn't think he'd be able to do it either, because he needed the Master Emerald to finish it. Only hell alone knows how he convinced Knuckles to let him use it-"

"You knew about Shadow's rock?" This did astound Amy, because Cream was not one to associate with Shadow on any level.

"Yeah, he told me before I left the hospital but I didn't believe him. When did he do it?"

Amy shrugged. "'Bout a few minutes ago – I ran here."

Cream took in Amy's state and looked her up and down. "Yeah, you look like a Survivor. Come in. Take a shower. Get some rest. I'll call Rogue so she can go fetch your clothes and gear at your house."

Amy didn't have to be told twice and followed Cream into her house. As Cream continued making plans that would commence in mere hours, Amy felt her heart swell up in absolute pride and excitement. It was finally happening – she had another chance, and she wasn't blowing it this time. She had done her training. She had taken it all one step at a time.

And her time was now.

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Amy was woken up by a busy and demanding coach, who had neatly laid out her track suit and running gear on a chair beside the guestroom's bedside. A warm breakfast's scent called from the kitchen and when Amy heavily swung her legs over the bed, a familiar face entered the room.

"Amy! Oh my gosh! It's true!

Rogue ran up to her, drew her into a tight hold and then released her with a glorious smile.

"Morning Rogue, when'd you get here?" Amy asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Rogue put her hands to her hips and once again, seemed to pull off that modish look not many could muster so naturally.

"Honey, I just got here. Cream's mother's making us some breakfast. Our car will be here in about an hour to take us to the stadium. The finals are in three hours, but I want you there nice and early. Now, lucky for us, it never really got out that you broke your leg and if anyone got that story out now, nobody with in spitting distance would believe him, because here you are! As good as new! I'm so happy, it's not even funny!"

Amy, actually, found her little speech quite hilarious but adored her enthusiasm. The anticipation for the next three hours hung around her head like a tousled towel, but she soon discovered her head was just caught up in a web of her long hair. Rogue untangled it for her while she continued talking.

"It's gotten so long, I don't even recognize you anymore! Ah, but it looks gorgeous. We'll just tie it back neatly for the race –I'll even do your make-up. Not overdone of course, just so you look suitable for the cameras! Okay, I know, I'll braid your hair – do your fringe over your head like a head-band and then braid it into you pony-tail! Ooh, you'll look so professional!"

Now, through this all, Amy kept silent in a friendly and patient way, admitting to herself that she did not mind Rogues fuss in the least. She was too excited to care. Braid her hair? Why not? It was long enough – it ran well behind her back, stopping mid-back. Heaven alone knew how it made that journey so speedily.

An enlivening breakfast followed, joined by Cream's mom, who packed Amy's entire bag for the event. She saw them off with a friendly wave, saying she'd watch the race on TV.

"I told her I didn't want her there," Cream said, when they had left the house minutes before. "She'd cramp my style." She then proceeded to nonchalantly put a pair of sunglasses on her face and place the hood of her jacket over her bunny-eared head.

Amy and Rogue sniggered to each other, leaving Cream to her moment and deciding it best to not comment on the just now reflective image. They drove in a whirl of anticipation and bliss; discussing the odds with quant professionalism and remarking again, how nice it was of Shadow to fix her leg using his 'rock'. Rogue explained that Knuckles originally disagreed to lend Shadow the Master Emerald, and after deciding to not steal it herself, Rogue went with convincing him instead. Amy thought that was very considerable, because Rogue could've gotten away with it just as easily had she stolen it, which her expertise in ran high.

"I told Knux he could marry me if he brought me home a medal," she told them, her eyes glinting. Amy and Cream's jaws dropped.

"Are you serious?" Amy asked. Rogue smiled wryly, seeming almost uncomfortable while she smiled coyly.

"Yeah, I'm hung up on him. I may be a thief, but he's stolen my heart," she declared with a bashful sigh. Cream's eyes grew wide.

"Wow," was all she said and then peered at Rogue from under her sunglasses. "You're getting old, Rogue."

"Why you little …" Rogue began threateningly, but the car came to a halt, pausing their brawl-about-to-start. Amy, not waiting for her manager or her coach, grabbed her bag and hopped out. The other two soon followed and they found themselves facing the same stadium as a few days back – it still held the required result. It was a structure that radiated intensity and triumph – a triumph Amy wanted to bask in so badly, it hurt.

There was a moment; right after the car left them at the entrance, where all three girls stood in silence. The wind grew thick with gravity and the air pulsed with edge. Amy felt the breeze lift up her pony tail and whirl it around the back of her neck – it set of a chain reaction and chills ran down her spine like crawling ants.

"Amy," Cream breathed, turning to her friend. She took off her sunglasses and held them momentarily aside. "Rogue and I've got something for you."

"It's a little gift from the both of us. We were planning on giving it to you yesterday, but seeing as you were … indisposed …" Rogue explained.

Cream dug into her pocket and produced a thick black velvet box – the type you get rings in. Amy took it from her with shaky hands, eyes brimming with tears when she opened the box.

It was a silver chain, simple yet roughly stylish, thin as air and glided across her skin when she picked it up to survey in the light. From it hung a cross, also silver. It twirled from the chain like a piece of magic, enchanting her with feelings she had never felt before. Tears shed with the happiness that went along with it, and Amy grabbed both her grinning friends into a wordless group-hug.

Amy saw Cream shoot Rogue a look.

"You think she likes it?"

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Sonic left the dressing room, donning his running gear and entered the stadium from the hallway that forked into it. He searched the crowd, not entirely sure what he was looking for, but was surprised to see every seat in the stadium occupied. Seventy thousand people had come to watch him achieve victory.

If only one other could have come as well.

"Faker."

Sonic turned, but not before pulling a face, and faced the ever-always-joy that was his rival. Shadow's running attire was blood-red, with a diagonal black stripe that ran along his chest. His arms were crossed, but his face held the usual cocky expression, yet it held more truth this time.

Annoyed, Sonic gave in. "What?"

"Are you upset because you know you will be facing defeat today?" Shadow asked, smirking the way he normally liked to.

Sonic huffed. "No, I am not upset 'because I know I will be facing defeat today'," he said, adding a high-pitched voice to mock Shadow's assertion.

"Well, you should, because look who showed up to put you in your place."

Sonic turned to where Shadow indicated with his head and saw Silver warming up in a secluded spot. Sonic laughed.

"Silver? Ha, whatever. I'm not scared of him!"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "No, you idiot, over there!"

Sonic relocated his eyes and saw, almost with a burst of light, Amy speaking to Rogue and Cream just beside the track. She looked incredible – her hair was stunning. He'd never seen her lit up like this before. It was like she stood out like an angel from the others. He noted, in an awkward moment, that _she was here._

"Uhm, Shadow, was I dreaming or didn't Amy break her leg?" Sonic asked the other and then saw him smirk even wider with discharge and wit.

"Of course she did. And perhaps you shouldn't ruin her happiness by showing her your face," he remarked, when he saw Sonic moving to where she was standing. Despite wanting to ignore Shadow's impertinent statement, something held him back. He didn't want to excite her unnecessarily by gracing her with his presence. She was probably in love with him all over now that he had kissed her.

She'd probably squeal like a crazy fan-girl and then tackle him to the ground if he showed up in front of her now. Nah, he couldn't do that to her. She seemed focused right now. He knew Amy after all – he _knew_ he knew her. Instead, he settled for shooting her a charming smile, taking a moment to give her some time to take in his image and then saw her look at him curiously.

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"What's Sonic doing? Does he know he's standing right where that javelin is going to hit?" Amy asked somewhat worriedly, not understanding why he was just standing in one spot, smiling like a fool and posing like a statue.

"I don't know, but the shit's about to hit the fan. The crowd's even yelling at him to get outta the way, but he's glued to the spot," Rogue commented rather casually and Cream even waved at him in an attempt to get him to move.

"Hey! Sonic! Get out of the way, you idiot!" she yelled, ears flopping. Amy noticed that, if she wanted to, Cream could've shouted a lot louder.

There was a second of suspension and then a loud 'oooh' from the crowd and the announcer decided to speak.

"_Can we get a medic down there, please?"_

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_**A/N: Yes! It's here, fun fun fun fun!**_

_**So, I LOVED my reviews for the previous chapter. They were incredible, thank you so much. It's the reason I decided to update so soon.**_

_**Please enjoy and don't forget to review!**_

_**LOVE YOU ALL!**_

_**Ps, this is my favorite chapter.**_


	28. Chapter 28: Don't Take a Step Back!

**One Step at a Time**

"_But there's no end in sight … "_

**Chapter 28: Don't Take a Step Back!**

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Shit! It's really deep in there!"

"Can't you just yank it out?"

"No can do, Ma'am. Gotta stay this way 'till we get 'em to the hospital."

From where he sat in the Medical Wing, bloody foot impaled with a blue shiny javelin, Sonic wanted to throw up very badly. Tails, Amy, Cream, Rogue and Knuckles were all huddled around him from his position on the edge of the bed – it hurt to lie down. The javelin became too heavy and would tug at the wound, because it had pierced his foot at a diagonal incline. He had never felt such discomfort in his short life, and the others weren't helping.

"So, he's out?" Tails asked the one medic, who was holding the spear still to cease any possible movement.

"M'afraid so," he practically mumbled, studying Sonic with curious intent. Sonic's ears flattened and he narrowed his eyes accusingly – first at the medic, than at the accursed spear.

The sight of it disgusted him – he was dizzy with pain. Blood seeped non-stop through the bandages that had been applied. Sonic could barely recollect the memories of the incident through his spinning head – he had been standing on the wrong side of the track, but he hadn't been literally in the javelin area. Someone had thrown a spectacular distance; so far, in fact, it passed the marked track, exceeding the 100m mark. Cream mentioned something about a 'Mustafa' guy, but Sonic didn't care. There was a SPEAR through his FOOT.

"OW!" he yelled when the medic involuntarily leaned on it.

"Sorry!"

Through blurry eyes, Sonic saw something pink step up to him.

"Sonic … I'll win this race for you," he heard her say softly, the words echoing off her lips and into his ears like a new scent of bliss. He blinked, wanting to respond, he made eye contact with green sincere orbs.

"…and for all the other people who's a great friend like you!" she declared, firm and empowered. Like a needle making contact with a balloon, Sonic felt his ego deflate – not only under the pressure of what she had so heartedly stated, but because she had done it the moment Shadow and Silver sneaked into the room – he saw them shuffle in from the view he had over her shoulder.

Amy patted his head softly, like a mother would pet her child, and gave him a last comforting smile, eyes shimmering with warmth and reassurance. He put on a placid face for show and nodded silently, fighting hard not to reveal the true emotions that hid behind his pleading eyes: _'Get me out of here!'_

She bent down and gave him a friendly kiss on the head and then turned on her heels, Rogue and Cream right after her. Sonic felt the pain in his foot dim out slightly, when the pain in his heart magnified tenfold.

She was leaving to pursue her destiny, craving to accomplish her goal. He's never seen her this composed and disciplined and it sent a different type of pain through his body.

Was he jealous?

Knuckles bade him goodbye, saying he'd love to stay but he had to go win his event so Rogue would marry him –Sonic hoped for Knuckles' part the medal was shiny enough to convince her. Tails was silent throughout the entire ordeal, showing a blank expression to anyone who caught sight of him. Sonic could read every single emotion on his face clearly – disappointment, sorrow and defeat – all of which he held for his friend. Looking back, Sonic guessed he should have made more time for Tails, or at least express his gratitude and appreciation more often.

"Tails, can you do me a favor?" Sonic voiced, careful to not groan at the pain in his foot.

Tails raised his somber head.

"Go … cheer on Amy for me, will ya?" Sonic offered a lop-sided grin and his friend perked up slightly and then nodded thoughtfully before he left the room.

Now it was only him, Silver and Shadow.

Well, the medic was there too, but he didn't count, so pretend he's not there … even if he is.

Shadow started off with a snort and crossed his arms at the sight of Sonic's current state.

"Good one, faker. You've made my day so much easier," he sneered with a smirk practically _dripping_ with victory.

"Why don't you just break out into song and do a dance number?" Sonic growled, eyes frowning resentfully. Shadow smirked.

"If only there was time! But you see, I have to leave now for my warm-up. Tough luck, faker." He turned and left, but not before sending Silver a knowing look which Sonic did not fail to pick up. The door slammed shut.

Now, Silver, on the other hand, seemed awkward as hell. Sonic would know – he'd been in his fair share of awkward situations, all of which had involved Amy one way or another and that was way before she got over him. There was a moment where only the panning of the light bulb in the room was heard and both hedgehogs made eye contact.

"So, does it hurt a lot?" Silver asked and Sonic resisted the urge to face-palm.

"Well," the Blue one began. "There is a _spear _in my foot, I'm bleeding all over the place and I'll probably never run after this again. To top it all off, everyone just _left _and now I'm stuck here, while you and Shadow run it out for first place. It feels _GREAT_."

Silver blinked. "Oh."

Sonic felt his annoyance merge with his pain to give birth to rage.

"Oh? Oh? OH? That's all you have to say? OH?" Sonic yelled like a lunatic, baring his teeth. "Get out of here, _you idiot_!"

Silver wasted no time, turned on his heels and gracelessly shuffled out of the room. He heard something hit the door behind him after he closed it – judging by the muffled thud, it was probably a pillow. Silver rolled his eyes, blew out a breath and saw Shadow waiting for him in the hall of the medical wing.

"How is he?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow.

Silver shrugged. "Pretty good."

Shadow sniggered to himself and both hedgehogs left the hall and reentered the stadium, feeling the rumble of the crowd entice them once more. Again, both parted ways and feeling quite confident, left each other without saying a word.

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"I don't know about this, Cream. I feel like I should be back in the medical wing comforting Sonic."

Cream made a huff, pulled at Amy's collar and yanked her down to eye level.

"Boo hoo! Sonic got what he deserved! If anything, his ego got more hurt than his little foot. It's just a small little hole, no big deal! You can't tell me you trained all these weeks just to throw it all away at the end because of something like this!"

Amy's eyes widened and her face turned unsure. "But what if it was you back there instead of Sonic? Would you still want me to run the race?"

Cream gave her a sharp rap to the head.

"Ow!"

"Of course, you numbskull! I put a lot into this as well! I put a lot into _you_! We all did! Sonic can't expect you to give up on your goals for _him_! Don't you see what he's doing? He's putting himself first again! It's always about _him_! When in actuality, it's really about _you_!" Cream took a deep pause, released the hem of Amy's top and took a breath.

"Look," she started, looking away. "If you want to go back there and console him for his idiocy, go ahead. I'm won't stop you. No one will. But before you go, just take a moment to look _where you are_. Do you see where you are, Amy? You're made it to the finals. You're lightning."

The coach hopped off and Amy saw her get escorted to the VIP box alongside Rogue and some security. Rogue shot her a thumbs-up over her shoulder before disappearing into the tunnel. When they were out of sight, Amy took Cream's advice and turned in a circle to take in her surroundings.

Amy felt the heat of the crowd push down on her like a warm soggy towel – it suffocated her. Different emotions passed through her chest. She felt like she had been holding back this whole time and it was her fault alone. Determined and empowered once more, Amy left to approach the starting line to join the other athletes in the line-up.

Shadow shot her a smile – tiny, but noticeable. Amy could only imagine how self-assured he must be feeling with Sonic out of the race. She gave him a friendly nod and took her place between him and, coincidentally, Silver. Silver was more positive as well and his teeth gleamed with anticipation. Amy mentally shook her head.

She was still there, wasn't she? Bastards. And they had called her fast too.

Stupid boys – stinking liars, that's what they were! Selfish pricks … making her life so difficult … she'd show them … she'd beat them all! Giving the finish line one last narrow-eyed glare, Amy felt her muscles intensify and her legs stiffen.

She was ready.

Before the official even picked up the bullhorn, a shot echoed through the stadium and the crowd fell silent. The big screen flashed white and all attention was directed to it.

One moment it was day and the next, Amy felt night envelop her. Her limbs went numb, her eyes bulged and she lost her balance.

Before she hit the ground, Amy felt the burning pain in her neck overwhelm her.

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_**A/N: This is where the fun starts!**_

_**Sorry I took so long – this has been the hardest time of my life. I have big exams coming up and you guys know I like to update in exam time, so yay!**_

_**Thanks for all my reviews; they keep my going like nothing else!**_

_**I LOVE YOU ALL!**_

_**(^^,)**_


	29. Chapter 29: Step into my Time Machine

**One Step at a Time**

"_It's your faith that makes you stronger … "_

**Chapter 29: Step Into My Time Machine**

"Uhhhh …"

Amy felt her head pound like a drum. Her skin sent trails of chills up her spine – she was attached to some cold metallic surface. Her muscles twitched and ached, but when she tried to move them, she felt her wrists and ankles securely strapped down.

'_What happened? Did I win? Where's Cream?'_

Groggily, her eyes opened and her neck stiffened. She saw a ceiling. Her neck craned from side to side to inspect her surroundings. The room was moderately empty, except for a few chairs and a table overwhelmed with documents and sketches Amy could not make out. On the walls were diagrams of different types of Mobians' anatomy and skeletal build. Directly next to her was a magnificent device - it seemed multifunctional. It consisted of a huge spotlight dangling from above, near Amy's head. There were a few monitors, buttons, levers and one shiny red knob.

'_This must be a time machine,' _Amy thought dully, her vision still spinning somewhat.

The only light visible was a lamp standing next to the door. Amy tried to focus on it for a while, until her eyes began to water and spots started to dance in her sight.

She barely noticed the door creaking open.

"Ah, finally awake. Sweet dreams, Ms Rose?"

Amy did not respond. Her head spun, but she could think of a few colorfully organized words that would form a perfect line of curses. Shutting her eyes tightly, Amy tried to regain focus. When she opened it, only three seconds later, a creepy old human man was already standing beside her.

"Gah!"

"Quiet now. You are still a little under the effect of the sedatives." He smiled a crinkly smile. The skin seemed to melt off his face due to age. He wore a bowler hat on top of what seemed to be a bald head, but a few grey hairs peeked out here and there. His eyes were grey, empty and uncompromising. His sharp chin, crooked posture and faded moustache were very definite in the low light of the lamp. It took Amy a while to recognize him.

"I don't mean to be rude," Amy began gently, "but where the hell am I?"

Edgar Olsten grinned once more and for a moment Amy was convinced that tonight was the night that she would die. The only effect missing was the lightning in the background.

"Why, you are underground, Ms Rose."

"How did I get here? Why am I strapped to a table and why am I not running the finals _right now_?" The last part she grinded through her teeth with difficulty. This was not a situation she imagined herself landing in three months back.

How was this happening? Was this man not the Head of the MOA? Had the 'Olympics' been nothing short of a trap set out to get her? Amy's spine tingled with needles of light pain at the feeling that she was not getting out of here easily. Her heart pounded at the fear of what could possibly happen to her, strapped down and vulnerable.

Olsten chuckled like an old man assuring his granddaughter – to Amy it sounded more like a fifty year old scooter passing gas in a nonchalant way. He turned away from her, clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace the walls of the room. His lifeless eyes scanned the pictures and diagrams of the walls, soaking it in what seemed for the hundredth time.

"This all started years ago, when I was only just getting into the dynamics of the human body," he chatted away, while Amy helplessly started to struggle under the clasps' grip. "You see, my planet is very much overtaken with the idea of sports. Since the year 2014 it had begun to take over the financial and economic balance of the earth. In short, it was one heck of a money-maker.

"Of course, there was the Underground Bet Wars. Betting on athletes was illegal in that time. It was far more discreet. Nowadays people don't even watch athletics, rather more comfortable with sitting in front of a computer and watching the bets go up and down.

"I could bore you with stories about my corrupt planet for hours – I really could, seeing as you're not escaping."

Amy seized struggling. It was clear this man was a lunatic. Typical human – greedy and lusting for power and success.

No, typical Bad Guy – using others to fulfill own selfish needs.

Edgar Olsten reminisced on, not missing a beat, as if he had rehearsed this speech in the mirror plenty times before.

"What you see on the walls here is a part of my life's work – a collection of my dreams and goals. I have spent half my life researching new ways to enhance speed, improve muscle vitality, enlarge lung capacity and create indestructible bones and ligaments that would handle any injury.

"My efforts were incredible. My results … not so much. Humans are fast, Ms Rose. But in my opinion, they had the potential to be even faster. I knew there had to be a way. There was something I was missing. And then, one night when I stood on my patio enjoying a sublime scotch, the stars twinkled at me. Like they were mocking me. Beckoning me. Begging me to-"

"Again, don't mean to be rude, but _please_, get to your point." Amy snapped, feeling herself begin to tremble, despite her face of courage.

Olsten grinned again, unperturbed by her attitude. His old wrinkly hand traced the surface of a particular diagram that resembled a familiar form to Amy. It was a sketch of a hedgehog.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," he voiced, loudly, "was, essentially, my first target. I knew he lived on Mobius, but it was only a manner of getting him out in the open that would put his speed on display. I did my background check on him, however, and it proved lucky that he was such a competitive over-confident fool."

"Stuff it, you old coot."

Olsten grinned wider. He was missing a few teeth.

"Charming," he remarked, with a sarcastic undertone, but still with sour intention of a gentlemen. Amy's eyes narrowed.

"Sonic was an easy target, and if his two lookalikes proved just as foolish, I would come into possession of all of their speed-cores. You see Ms, Rose, for an advanced species such as yourself, speed comes naturally to you – which is something I only realized after I saw you run a hundred meter sprint in an abandoned park at around midnight.

"Never in my life have I seen such an astounding rise. You, a common everyday girl, train for merely a month or two and already you are competition to some of the fastest beings I know."

His eyes glistened with fierce greed. His hand slid off the poster and he paced the room once more, an eye never leaving Amy's shaking form.

"I would admit the boys were still quite faster, but you were catching up on them and they knew it. I could see them getting nervous. What made matters even more entertaining was that each of them now sported some bizarre form of affection for you. I guess this is part of some strange hedgehog mating ritual – the fastest female is the one most desired."

"You're sick."

He tipped his hat. "My good girl, you have no idea."

Amy felt the veins in her head stretch and throb. This man was dangerous – she had to get out of here, but she wasn't strong enough to brake the straps around her wrists and ankles.

"Moving on, I knew your speed-core would be more valuable than theirs. I had no use for second best. You became my main target and with my influence over the Alliance, I could make sure you entered the finals easily. I made sure to place you with the slowest, not that my faith in your speed was small, but because my faith in your confidence was fairly non-existent."

In spite of her current situation, Amy felt her eye twitch.

"Oh, my apologies Mr. President."

Olsten ignored the jibe. "When you all lined up for the final, I knew I had to act fast. You core was probably over-accelerated and when I heard you had come back from a miraculous recovery from a broken bone in the hospital, I got a mini-heart-attack."

Amy scoffed. "Bummer you survived."

"Yet, you lined-up for the finals, alive and ready. I took my chance. All of the athletes were sedated and captured, some with difficulty, but all of them none the less."

She nodded thoughtfully to herself. "Mustafa put up a fight, didn't he?"

"I'd been watching you for weeks now, recording your progress and analyzing your success rate. If my numbers were crunched correctly, I believed your speed would have been twice as fast as Sonic's had you trained for even only a month longer."

"I could've been a time-traveler." She sighed.

Olsten coughed. "My dear, let's not think to the past, but rather to the future. My future, specifically."

"What about the seventy thousand people that witnessed my kidnapping?"

"My girl, I took the liberty of gassing the place before we took our leave. They should all be knocked out long enough for me to extract the speed-core from your body and leave the planet in a gust of success."

Convinced of his victory, Olsten walked over to the tied down Amy and swung the light of the machine over her head. Without warning, he flicked a switched and a painfully bright light burned into Amy's eye-sockets.

"Gah!"

"Now hold still, my dear," he advised mockingly. "This will only be excruciating."

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_**A/N: Well, well, well … look what the cat drug in and pissed all over. If it isn't our good old forgotten friend – Zee. Where ya been buddy? Oh, what's that? Nowhere? Just hanging around? THEN WHAT TOOK SO LONG?**_

_**Oh my word … how long has it been? It feels like a year … I don't know why it took so long to update, but there was something not right for a while. I just lacked the will and heart to write.**_

_**This is my last year of school, and I'm super busy. Probably won't update for another … long period of time, I guess.**_

_**Thank you for your patience. I have a test tomorrow that I am going to fail.**_

_**Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. I was in a hurry.**_

_**Love you all!**_

_**(^^,)**_


	30. Chapter 30: The Step of Hope

**One Step at a Time**

"_The only way you get there …"_

**Chapter 30: The Step of Hope**

Pssst! Shadow! Where are you?" Silver called out into the darkness of the icy room. He had no idea where he was. He could barely make his hand out in front of him. Al he remembered was a pain in his neck and then blacking out. He woke up later on a cold floor, bordered by utter darkness, only to be surrounded by three walls and cell bars.

"You fool. We are all here," mumbled a gruff voice out of the shadows. "Am I the only one tied down?"

"Yes, Mustafa, because you were the only one brave enough to punch the invaders while you were collapsing," uttered a complete unfamiliar voice.

"Guys! Focus!" said Silver impatiently, getting uneasy with the circumstances.

Things had turned out for the worst. Tom had warned them about this and where were they now? Locked in a wine cellar? Left here to die? How much time had passed since the black out?

"Silver!"

"Shadow?"

"No, this is your conscience speaking," the voice said in a dry tone.

"Well, have you seen Shadow around? Because I can't find him-"

"It's ME, you _imbecile_!" the voice, now recognizable, forced through gritted teeth. Silver wanted very much to add that he himself was joking, but kept quiet, mostly due to knowing that Shadow would perhaps never believe him.

"Can you see anything?" Silver asked, feeling his way around the cell. Twice his hands came into contact with the wall and another time he stubbed his toe – luckily it was dark so no one knew it was him who yelled like a girl.

"Who yelled like a girl just now?" said another athlete.

"Never mind that," Shadow jutted in, sounding extremely frustrated, "just try and find a way out of here! And see if you can figure out where we are."

"We are underground," Mustafa pointed out, his thick accent bouncing off the walls. His comment was ignored though.

"Where is Amy?" Silver asked frantically.

"Amy?"

"Amy!"

"ROSE!"

All calls of stress were drowned in the infinite echoes of the room. Silver though he heard someone swear and something else that may have sound like a painful kick to the wall.

"Someone yelled like a girl again."

"It was Shadow." This time.

Silver found his way to the wall again and slid down it with his back to slump on the floor. His face found its way to his freezing hands. The room was getting chillier – he could feel it. Gradually, but becoming chillier all the same. His stomach knotted into a hard rock at the thought of Amy. Where was she? Was she being kept somewhere else?

"What do we do now?" a distressed voice squeaked.

"Seventy thousand people witnessed our kidnap. I'm sure some of them are bound to care."

"Why are we here?"

"Are we under attack by an alien invasion?"

"Are we going to be used as science experiments?"

"I don't want to die!"

"It's getting so cold!"

"SHUT UP!" Shadow barked, his patience finally losing its end. Silver thought he saw a faint red glow in the dark that could have easily been Shadow's eyes. "The only thing we can do now is to wait and hope help is on the way."

"Help? Like who? Sonic?"

Mustafa gave a gruff snigger. "The fool who was in the way of my javelin? In my homeland, he would be stoned to death for his incompetence."

"Yeah, I don't really see a one-footed Sonic making an incredible heroic entrance."

"Then we can only count on Tails, Cream, Knuckles and Rogue. Otherwise, Rose is the only hope we've got."

"Hey Shadow, do you still have that rock?" Silver perked up hopefully.

"No, I don't have it with me and for the tenth time, it is a highly complicated mechanism that contains powerfully mixed energy and enhancement from the Chaos Emerald … not a rock."

"Dude, seriously, we voted and everything … that thing is definitely a rock."

"Well, at least have the decency to call it something more proper. Like a Rock of Power, or the Rock of Destiny or the Stone of Shadow!"

"Dude … seriously …"

"Do not doubt the power of my 'rock'! It may just be what gets us out of here."

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When no ambulance or medical group came to pick Sonic up, he suspected that they had in all probability, forgotten about him – just like Amy.

They did not most likely not hear who they were picking up. Someone had forgotten to inform them that they had, in fact, take Sonic the Hedgehog to the hospital. Sonic nodded. Yes, that sounds about right. They were just misinformed. That's all.

Sonic realized the finals should have been finished by now, and again, was mildly perturbed by the fact that everyone seemed to have forgotten about him. He vaguely wondered who win. Did Amy pull through after all?

But minutes passed, and soon, an hour had gone by. Sonic was getting edgy from where he sat on the bed. The pain his foot had numbed out, but the damn spear was still stuck into it. After a few more minutes of waiting, he started calling out into the hall, hoping to catch someone's attention.

"Yoohoo! Hello! Injured star-athlete over here! Need to go to the hospital! SPEAR THROUGH MY FOOT!" At the end of he was bellowing, but still got no response. He waited in annoyed silence. He heard no crowd cheering or any type of noise.

Without thinking, Sonic took hold of the spear and firmly adjusted his grip. Taking a deep breath, he yanked it out with a pained cry. He flung the javelin to the wall in shock and gritted his teeth at the pulsing in his foot. He fought hard not to tear up. He would not cry. He refused. Men did not cry.

Blood was gushing out. Taking initiative, Sonic stretched across the bed to grab some of the bandages on the pillow that the medic had forgotten. He unrolled it around his foot over the previous bandaging, tight enough to apply sufficient pressure and to try and stop the bleeding. For a moment, he could not believe what he had done. He had wrenched a spear out of his foot. The thought somewhat shocked him, but Sonic reminded himself that he had faced many evils before – this should be easy as cake.

Walking was not, however. The first step was unbearably agonizing – he almost toppled over and fell to the ground. Deciding he had to move somehow, Sonic took a breath and with a determined face, started to hop out of the room on his good leg. He pushed the door fully open, since it had been closed a bit. Once his path was clear, he took another strong leap, but his foot caught onto something and Sonic collided with floor. His chest blocked his collision, except his foot twisted unpleasantly and Sonic howled down the hall.

'_Crap - that hurt like hell!'_

Sonic sat up to see what had caused his defeat. It was a bag. It had stood right outside the door. The material was black, with a big red 'S' printed on the side. Sonic recognized it – it was Shadow's bag. Why the hell did Shadow leave it here, of all places?

Asshole.

His tolerance had snapped. Furiously, Sonic grabbed the bag and threw it across the hall. He watched it slide a few meters, until it hit the end of the hallway and something dark and shiny fell out of it. It hit the floor like a stone and rolled in Sonic's direction, stopping only a few feet from his form.

Sonic paused.

Why was there a rock in Shadow's bag?

Despite his situation, Sonic was curious (and he felt that Shadow leaving his bag in such an obvious place was too suspicious) so he crawled until he reached the glinting object. He reached out for it and saw the purple glint. Almost the moment his fingers wrapped around the cold stone, Sonic felt he how he was basked in a glorious light of green and purple.

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"So, how do we pass the time?" Silver asked, still sitting on the floor against the wall. His eyes had adjusted to the dark to some extent, so he could make out some figures and shapes. Everything else was still shrouded in darkness though.

"Let's play Truth-or-Dare!" someone suggested.

"Or we could play shut-the-hell-up-and-be-smart," Shadow snapped. His mood had turned foul and Silver knew it was only because of the overwhelming frustration and sense of defeat.

"I don't know that one."

"Why don't we sing?" Mustafa proposed. It sounded odd, coming from him, but the idea sounded so much better than sulking in the darkness.

"As long as it's not something annoying," was Shadow's comment. He had undoubtedly given in to his circumstances and now he was probably ready to, (Silver grinned), face the music.

Man, I'm funny.

Mustafa hummed the first few bars and then his gruff, rugged and manly voice began to sing a soft song.

"Lalala, la la la, lalala, lala lala …"

Silver and Shadow exchanged awkward glances in the darkness, at least now being able to make out each other's eyes. Defeated, they started to sing along, until all the athletes present broke out into spectacular volumes of harmonies and sang together to keep themselves from admitting defeat.

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"What on earth …?" Edgar Olsten stepped away from the machine and turned his head in the direction of the commotion. Amy, still fairly petrified by the fact that she was minutes away from enduring a lot of pain while a crazy old geezer extracted her speed-core from her DNA, heard it as well.

It was singing. Loud and persistent singing. Right away, Amy realized she liked the song – she didn't know it at all. It sounded very foreign, like it came from a different world or time. Even when she was strapped down to a table with a huge light and drill hanging over her head, Amy felt happy hearing it.

Somewhere in the center of her heart, Amy felt a bubble of hope swell up. She looked up at Olsten to see he was immensely distracted by the echoes of the singing. She twisted her wrist until the strap was over her hand. Her palm was sweaty, so she took advantage of it until she could slide it uncomfortably through. It took a few more nerve-wrecking seconds to pull it off, but Amy finally got it out. Ignoring the pain in her hand, she looked up at Olsten. He was still distracted.

Now, Amy was not one to hit old people. No matter how crazy or senile they were, she would not hit a senior. Instead, she took the needle lying on the machine with her free hand and slammed it into his back. He cried out weakly and Amy was able to inject him before he jerked away from her. She had no idea what she injected him with, but it was effective and he soon fell to his knees.

Acting fast, Amy used her other hand to work herself out of the other straps. Her hands shook with adrenaline, but by the time she got out all of the straps, her head was clearer than ever.

Olsten was heaving on the floor and for a horrid moment, Amy thought he was dying. He tried to call out for someone, but only coughed out saliva. Amy pushed him gently into the corner of the room. She ran out, taking a moment to try and figure out where she was. For the first time, she grasped how dark it was.

The singing was still clear. She decided to follow it.

The halls were empty. Olsten had no men stationed out anywhere, which Amy found strange but figured they were hiding some place or another. She down dark and clammy walls – it could have easily passed for a meat locker. Amy only had to cut one corner before she reached the door where the singing was coming from. The door was made of rotten wood and looked ready to fall off its hinges.

The singing suddenly stopped.

"Amy!"

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_**A/N: Here it is. Second last chapter. I'm writing an exam tomorrow which I am sure to fail, but right now, I really don't care. A lot has happened in the time since I last updated.**_

_**You see, I'm a netball player. Recently I suffered my greatest injury up to date. My knee had to get an operation and now I'm out for my senior year. I'm coping with it though.**_

_**Yes, the last chapter is after this one. Amazing how far we've come, hey?**_

_**All your reviews made it possible. I hope OddSakura is still alive.**_

_**Thank you for your patience and support and until next time!**_


	31. Chapter 31: The Last Step

**One Step at a Time**

"_Is one step at a time …"_

**Chapter 31: The Last Step.**

Amy turned.

There, standing in all his glory, was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog, striking his traditional and almost eccentric-looking pose. It was almost disappointing that there was barely any light, for Amy could _just _make out that he was grinning. The singing had stopped all of a sudden. For a moment, Amy wasn't sure what to say or do. She opened her mouth and trusted her brain with the first words that left her.

"What are you doing here?"

She hadn't meant to sound snippy, but realized it was worth it when the look on Sonic's face looked like it melted off and slid unto the floor like a limp rubber chicken. He stomped on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum would.

"I'm here to save you!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up incredulously.

Amy wrinkled her nose. "I have everything under control. Besides, you should be in the hospital. How are you even walking?" Amy finally noticed that Mustafa's javelin was absent from Sonic's foot.

"I used Shadow's rock."

There was a muffled, yet noticeably strangled outburst coming from behind the door. Amy thought it sounded like Shadow.

Turning her back on Sonic, Amy attacked the door. Already expecting it to be locked, she took it upon herself to powerfully kick it open. Her foot met the surface with a satisfying crunch of splinters. Defeated, the door broke off its hinges and scattered all over the floor in pieces. Barely wasting time to bathe in her magnificence, Amy stomped into the room.

Dark. Darkness everywhere.

"AMY!"

"Shadow?" Amy called into the room.

"AMY!"

"Silver?" Amy turned her head, but still couldn't make out anything.

"AMY!"

"What is it, Sonic?!" She turned to face Sonic standing in the broken doorway. "Did you not see me make that door my bitch? I'm in a hurry! Help me get everyone out!"

"Oh, great. The faker is here," Shadow let out in a long sarcastic drawl of breath.

Amy got an idea. "That's it! Sonic, give me Shadow's rock."

"For the _**last **_time-"

"Shut up, Shadow. I'm saving your ass over here," Amy bit out impatiently, wishing everyone would be a little more cooperative.

Blindly, Sonic found his way to her. He found her hand and put something cool and hard in her palm. Her fingers clutched the stone for a moment, feeling the power emitting from it through her senses.

"Shadow, how do I make this thing glow?"

"It responds to injury," he explained simply. She nodded to herself, grip tightening around the emerald.

Without thinking, Amy drove one of the sharp edges of the stone into the side of her arm. Wincing, she dragged the point down to cut through her skin, gritting her teeth as to not make a sound. Sonic jumped on the spot.

"Amy, what are you doing?!"

Finally feeling blood escape, Amy stopped cutting herself. She barely spared Sonic a glance.

"I'm knitting a sweater – _what the hell does it look like I'm doing_?!" she growled, now officially annoyed with Sonic.

And everyone else for that matter.

She felt a drop of blood trail down her arm in a tickle. Adjusting her fingers around the stone, she stared at it impatiently, almost thinking it was broken. When she held it a little closer to the fresh cut on her arm, the distinctive green and purple glow started to emit from it. The light gradually grew until it lit up most of the room.

While it was still lit, Amy took the time to take in her surroundings. It looked like they were in some basement and every athlete she had seen at the stadium were locked in cells that were untidily boxed around the room. She felt a rush of relief to see everyone in one piece.

"Is anyone hurt? Who needs the rock?" Amy addressed the room.

"Nobody's hurt," Shadow snapped, annoyed. "Just get us out of here and hurry."

Amy nodded. "Right. Sonic, help me out here."

Amy inspected the cell's lock that held Shadow. It looked like it needed some advanced code and even had a handprint-scanner.

"Ugh, where's Tails when you need him!" she grunted, feeling a little hopeless.

"Don't worry, Amy. I've got this," Sonic stated loudly, very confident. Balling a fist, he punched the lock system, only to have it rebound painfully and his punch collided with his own face. His mouth started to bleed.

Amy sighed, tossing him the rock. At least he supplied more light. She turned back to the lock, trying to rack her brains for some idea. Amy was about to consider going back and dragging Edgar Olsten's old ass back here and threatening him to open it, when she heard voices and footsteps down the dark corridor. Furiously, she signaled for Sonic to hide, but he promptly ignored her, puffed out his chest and stepped into the doorway. The hallway suddenly lit up and Amy had to rub her eyes before they could adjust to the new bright lights.

"Hey! Assholes! Over here!" Sonic yelled and a few tall leatherjacket-wearing humans with guns came running around the corner. Amy counted about five or six, but was in too much panic to react.

"Amy! Run!" Shadow ground out in frustration.

Amy heard gunfire and fell to the ground in instinct, ducking under her arms for protection. Most of the bullets collided with the walls or floor, as far as Amy could tell. She looked up from her cover to see Sonic about to take them out, when out of nowhere a dark mist of smoke emitted around the corners. The goons started to cough and Amy soon felt her own chest gasp for breath. Again, she found herself plunged into darkness.

She lost sight of Sonic, but she heard a lot of bodies collide with the floor. There was a few seconds of struggle and grunting and then only coughing and one person's footsteps. Amy stood up; she saw Sonic knocked out on the ground and when the smoke finally cleared, a tall middle-aged human stepped out of the remaining whiff.

Shadow, now also able to make out his surroundings thanks to the new light, recognized him. Silver saw him too.

"TOM!"

Tom stepped forward, climbing over the unconscious bodies on the floor. Amy felt a rush of relief.

He stopped in front of Amy and held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Tom Prestons."

Amy took his hand with gratitude. "I'm Amy. You must be the agent the boys told me about."

He grinned. "Smart girl. Then we don't have to waste time explaining everything and why I'm here." He reached for a fallen gun and then proceeded to shoot every lock system, breaking the cells open.

Amy, in the mean time, checked up on Sonic. He was already regaining consciousness when she went down on her haunches to give him a little slap through the face. His eyes shot open and he sat up, rubbing his cheek.

"What was that for?' he asked, a hurt look in his eyes.

Amy smiled. "Because you're an idiot."

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The next few days were a little drawn out. Tom had contacted the officials before infiltrating Olsten's underground base and they were already there after everyone had been released. Amy realized how lucky they were that nobody seriously got hurt. Everyone that had been gassed in the stadium woke up a few hours after the rescue. The Olympics were reported as a cancelled event, leaving Amy disheartened and disappointed when she was watching the news with Rogue and Cream.

She sighed, drawing her legs to her chest as Rogue placed a soft hand on her shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're safe, dear. I shudder when I think what that creep would have done with you."

Amy suppressed her chills at the thought. It had been a chilling experience, but Rogue was right. Nobody was seriously hurt and everyone was grateful. Despite this thought, Amy felt like crying.

"I just can't believe … I worked so hard and now I can't even…" Her tears came down quick and soft.

Rogue rubbed her back and Cream rested her head on Amy's shoulder for support. It had been tough on all of them. The girls sat there in silence, ignoring the television and anything that went on around them.

Amy sniffed, rubbing some tears away. "I've been wondering. Where was Knuckles through all of this?" She turned to look at Rogue. "I mean, he wasn't kidnapped along with Mustafa and the others."

Rogue blushed. "Oh. That. Well, after his event he and I went into the VIP box…"

Cream rolled her eyes and Amy giggled a little, feeling the mood lift up.

"Are you going to marry him, even if he didn't get first place?" Cream asked. Rogue smiled and sighed to herself.

"Why not? Knucks is good to me. He makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world."

"Wow, he's talented then," Cream remarked.

Amy had to break up the argument after they broke one of her lamps.

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On a particular sunny day, Amy took a lone walk to the cemetery, a flowerpot of daisies in her arms. She had wanted to visit Mr Petal's grave for some time now, especially since the events following the MOA.

The Alliance had been arrested and sent back to earth with the promise that they would be locked securely away. This gave Amy a sense of definiteness when she entered the gates of the cemetery on a Sunday morning. She spotted a blue figure from afar, standing with his hands in his pockets while looking down at Mr Petal's tombstone. He didn't turn around to acknowledge her presence or speak when she approached him.

Silently, she placed the flowerpot beside the tombstone and sent a loving prayer after going down on her knees. When she was done, she stood up, dusted off her knees and turned to leave. Sonic was obviously not in the mood to talk.

She was about to leave when he took hold of her wrist. She caught his eyes. A lot of intensity and unspoken words and feelings lay beneath those orbs of heroism.

"Amy," he began, almost anxiously. He released her wrist and inserted his hand back into his pocket. For a moment he seemed to struggle to find his words as he tentatively looked to the side, unable to face her eyes.

She waited, patiently. He took a breath.

"Amy, you're amazing,' he blurted out, face going red the moment he did. "I mean, you're pretty, dedicated and almost as fast as me."

Amy mentally rolled her eyes, but didn't interrupt him.

Sonic continued, now gaining bearing. "For the last few weeks I've been thinking about you a lot. About us. I know you've always wanted to be with me and I've always been a little… abrasive about it, but I think we're finally ready to take the next step in our relationship." He paused, waiting for her response with a big smile plastered on his face.

Amy bit her lip. "Uhm, thanks Sonic. But, that's okay."

There was a moment of silence where Sonic just stared at her, unable to comprehend her words. "I don't understand. Isn't this what you wanted? Didn't you always want me?"

Amy shrugged. "I started wanting other things, Sonic. That's why I entered the Olympics – I originally thought I entered just to find closure so I could finally get over you, but now that I think about it, I've been over you a while now."

His face looked crush when she finished.

Amy put a hand on his shoulder. "Sonic, I still love you. I always will. But I've come to realize that you're more like brother to me than anything else."

Sonic sighed, pushing her hand away. "First you friendzone me, now I'm being brother-zoned. Great."

Amy tried not to feel bad. "Sonic, please don't …"

"Marry me."

Amy blinked.

There was a pause.

"What?"

"Marry me," he repeated, more firm. His face completely serious and expression hauntingly mature for once.

Amy stood flabbergasted, but then regained her composure and thoughtfully smiled to herself. Oh, what she would have given to hear Sonic say those words just a year ago. She would have, without thought, leapt into his arms and yelled 'yes' a thousand times over.

Amy shook het hear though. "That's not fair."

He blinked, confused.

Amy turned her gaze to the pot of daisies standing beside Mr Petal's tombstone. "I spent years longing and chasing after you and you always ran away from me or pushed me away. I know I was a little pushy, but I loved and adored you – I practically worshipped you. Things are different now though."

Sonic's heart sank. "You love someone else now. I'm such an idiot."

Amy shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean. I have other things to think about now. Cream is going to move in with me and I'm going to take over the flower shop. I just... don't know what I want right now. My life has pretty much just started."

Sonic didn't buy it. "Let me support you. I can take care of you. I can protect you better than anyone else can."

Amy smiled lovingly. "I don't doubt that for a second," she said honestly. "All I mean is, you don't deserve me."

Sonic did a double take. "Excuse me?"

Amy turned her back on him and shot him a sly looked over her shoulder. "You have to woo a girl before you can ask her to marry you. I mean, when's the last time you gave me rose?"

She then left, leaving Sonic with a grin. Before she exited the cemetery, he yelled out after her, obviously forgetting where he was.

"I'll win you over, Amy! You'll want me again one day! You'll see!"

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Amy took a stroll, deciding she wanted to think. For a while she didn't pay attention to where she was going, but when she lifted her head from the sight of the sidewalk, she found she was in the park. She smiled to herself.

"The only thing missing now is Shadow."

"Right here."

She turned and saw he occupied their bench. She was surprised she didn't notice him before, but figured she shouldn't expect any normality from him anymore. He stood up from his seat to walk beside her. The sun was setting. The atmosphere was lovely and Amy couldn't think of a better moment to share with him.

"I'm still waiting for those books, Amy," he teased, strangely comfortable with her.

"If you walk me to my house, you can get it there," she smiled shyly. They walked in contented peace next to each other.

"The season is almost over," she commented.

"Good. I can't stand the heat."

She stifled a giggle. While they walked, she noticed the streets were occupied by less and less people every day. After the events concerning the MOA, the people of Station Square had become somewhat conservative with their behavior.

"Did you hear about Silver and Blaze?" she asked. She could have been wrong, but she picked up a slight tone of smugness from Shadow from beside her.

"Who would have thought that she had been yearning after him after all this time," he voiced thoughtfully, but sounded at ease. "It's good to see him in other company. I was beginning to worry that he was getting attached to me."

"Oh, you two will always be friends after this," Amy said matter-of-factly, as they turned into her street.

Shadow shrugged, not voicing his thoughts.

When they came to her little house, both stopped her front lawns gate. Amy turned to him, a little unsure. Her feet kicked the ground as her arms intertwined behind her back.

"Uhm, Shadow …"

He said nothing, only staring at her with a serious expression. Behind his mask, Amy saw a thousand words that he would never speak.

"Listen, Rose, I'm not good for you."

Her head shot up. "Huh?"

His eyelids dropped as he avoided her perplexed expression.

"I'm too …damaged. I can never give you what you deserve. I've been selfish and I don't think we can…"

Amy sighed sadly. "That's too bad. Cream really likes having you around." She smiled at him, hiding all her thoughts and feelings. "Maybe you'll change your mind tomorrow."

He shook his head. "I don't believe so."

Amy's smile turned sly. "I guess I'll just have to marry Sonic then."

He took a step back, a look of absolute horror on his features. "W-what?!"

Amy shrugged. "He proposed to me yesterday and I didn't say yes, but I didn't really say no either …"

"You _meant_ 'no', right?"

Amy faked a look of confusion. "Why, Shadow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you _didn't_ want me to marry Sonic." Shadow tried to hide his blush and growled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

He cleared his throat. "Maybe you can… er … I can take you out or something …"

Amy smiled, victorious, and wrapped her arms around him. She had truly come to care for him, her heart bordering on true love. After a few seconds of stiffness, Shadow hugged her back and rested his chin on her head of long hair.

"Please tell me you didn't lead him on or anything."

Amy pulled away and gave him a crafty look. "Oh, come now, what girl doesn't want some competition over her?"

Shadow smiled softly, again, as small as he could force into it, but Amy never had any trouble making it out. Standing on her toes, she left him a quick kiss on his cheek, seeing red blast out of his ears from the affection he wasn't used to.

"Thanks, Shadow. For everything."

"No. I owe you thanks, Amy. Trust me."

He left soon after and Amy entered her house feeling happy. She found Cream snuggled on the couch in front of the TV with a blanket.

"Shadow forgot his books again," she remarked without looking away from the screen.

"You were spying on us from the window, weren't you?" Amy took a seat next to her.

Cream scoffed. "No, I just …know stuff."

There was a moment where both friends just sat in each other's company, not really absorbing the TV's content.

"So, you chose Shadow, huh?" Cream voiced, trying to sound nonchalant. Amy shook her head after taking off her shoes and getting more comfortable.

"No, he chose me."

"And Sonic?"

"He chose me too."

"Well, Silver didn't choose you."

Amy chuckled fondly. "I'm okay with that. Blaze deserves happiness."

Cream rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. "Yeah, figures that the two awkward ones would end up together."

"I think it's sweet," Amy remarked.

"When they have awkward babies, yeah, then it's sweet."

"Ugh, Cream…"

"What?"

Again, another moment of silence.

"So, now what?" Cream asked, looking at her friend.

Amy looked at her toes, uncertain for a moment and then turned to smile at her coach.

"You want to go training tomorrow morning before we open up the shop?"

Cream scratched her head, sounding hesitant. "That's so early, though."

"I'll buy you a bagel."

"Deal."

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Opening up shop the day after, Amy cleaned out the back storage and stumbled upon an old box hidden behind some empty flower pots. She went on her knees and pulled it closer. Dusting it off, she slowly took of the lid to find a letter and an old gold medal inside it. She picked up the medal, feeling the rough texture under her skin. It was solid gold and had engraving on it – _Amy Rose_.

Curious, Amy read the letter that came with it:

_**Dear Amy,**_

_**I'm sure I'll be resting in peace by the time you find this. I have entrusted all my belongings to you, my loyal employee who was more like a daughter to me than anything else. I write this letter because I want to set your heart at peace.**_

_**I have made many mistakes and salvaged plenty regrets from them, but my biggest regret was never being able to see you cross that finish line. Sonic originally wanted you to represent me in the race to try and save the shop, but I knew my time was up. My finances have been in shambles, but I took the last bit and had this medal made for you. **_

_**Through your courage and commitment, you have taken a better step towards the future. I wish you a wonderful life ahead of you.**_

_**When you find yourself in a sticky situation or need to get over that hill of struggle, please do it as you always have.**_

_**One step at a time.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Mr Petal**_

**THE END**

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A/N: Wow. It's done. Fours/Five years later and it's finished. Where do I begin? With the thank yous I guess.

**OddSakura**, I cannot thank you enough for you overwhelming enthusiasm and support. If it wasn't for you, I probably would never have found the courage and confidence to finish this thing. A thousand times, thank you. God bless your soul.

To my loyal reviewers, I chose your names because your words of enthusiasm and encouragement is what finished this story:

**narutowolf, Harajukulover-90, foxdemon12, Ziggy7332, WillowBelle, Miss Chocolat. xXGlamorousGLoraXx, CaroAmy, mewfatima and Miss Topaz.**

And then, to **Skye, **who was never logged in, but left me a beautiful review at Chapter 26, thank you for your amazing words.

Gosh, look at the journey. This is my FIRST fanfiction and I finally finished it. It's very suitable that I finished it now – tomorrow I finish high school for good and I started this around the time I entered high school. I'll attend college, study Education and become an English Teacher!

I know this story has SO many typos. It's not that I don't know how to spell … my fingers just slip sometimes. I've always wanted to do a clean sweep of this story though and basically just improve the first few chapters. One reviewer remarked that one of the reasons they loved reading this was observing how my writing kept improving through this fic.

**About this chapter**: I like it. Shut up. Endings are hard. It's fine. Go away. :D Hehe, what I mean is, some of you will be upset that the finals were never ran, so you don't know who would've won. I would just like to point out, that the story was never really about the race, but rather the journey to the starting line. Amy didn't need to prove herself in the end – she had already gotten closure concerning it.

I would just like to point out that there will be no sequel and I'm so sorry. I just don't think there's anything else left to write. I joked about making a soccer-type of sequel, but no, it's not gonna happen. I'll probably never write another Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction again. I've outgrown it and quite honestly, I've learned everything that I can from exploring the characters.

_**I would love to do a special for this fic though. People have so many questions concerning this fic and all its happenings. Please PM me any and all your questions and I will happily answer them all and add them to this fic as the 32**__**nd**__** chapter. It'll be like an interview. Ask as many as you like, I'm serious. I'll put it up when I feel I have enough question to answer.**_

This is where I say goodbye. I feel like … I don't know how I feel. I went through so much in high school, just like all of us do. My parents divorced, my dog died, my sport career ended and now … now I'm ready for a fresh start.

Thank you and I love you all.

Zee

(^^,)


	32. SPECIAL

_**One step at a Time SPECIAL**_

Thank you for those who sent their questions! I reworded and rephrased some of them for better reading accommodation. Please enjoy!

_**ZeeDraGon**_

**What in the world compelled you to write about the OLYMPICS of all things?**

**A: **My goal was to write about sport and how it can influence your development from one character to a stronger one. I am deeply involved in sport myself, thus I found it easier to relate and write about. I chose athletics because I know how hard one must work to be a world class athlete.

**Why AMY ROSE of all people?**

**A:** Originally, I planned on writing the fic focused on Sonic, with Amy forming the sub-plot. In the end, I decided that Amy held so much potential to explore as a character – emotionally, I could really supply her with depth. I find male characters a little difficult to write about at this stage, anyway.

**What was Cream and Rogue's role in all of this?**

**A:** Supporting characters and comic relief. I had so much fun with Cream – she was the spontaneous side-kick with a somewhat cynical undertone. Rogue played the older sister role – I felt that in the near future, she would have made a wonderful mother.

**Why did you bash Sonic?**

**A:** Hey, come on. I didn't bash him. Sonic is just …Sonic. I just messed with him a little to give the reader a better opinion about Amy. Like I said, the story would have been about him had I not changed it after drafting it. I wanted a classic fic with Sonic saving the world and getting the girl in the end – I decided against that.

**What was Mr Petal's role in all of this?**

A: Mr Petal would've had a whole chapter to himself had I not confused myself with the plot when I hit chapter fifteen. I had to pinpoint the direction of the plot and Mr Petal would've been an unnecessary detour. He's also a supporting character for Amy, but more in a spiritual sense. In the end, his death brought everyone closer.

**What was up with Shadow's rock?**

**A:** A running gag – Shadow is brilliant after all and I love that everyone degrades the opinion he has about his awesome invention by calling it a mere rock. I felt that in a world where that type of magic kind of existed, I could use it for my own purpose. I thought for a long time how I would help Amy overcome her injury – Shadow was always the one who I wanted to heal her.

**We wanted more Silver/Shadow bromance!**

**A:** Not a question, but I felt the need to respond. The friendship between Shadow and Silver formed unexpectedly through the plot – the more they interacted, the more I could explore. Shadow hates people and Silver is so damn awkward in my head – it was the perfect recipe for BROMANCE. They're relationship was never planned, thus I did not elaborate on it. Sorry.

**WHO did Amy pick?**

**A:** Honestly, no one. Silver was never going to be 'the one' – I knew this from the start. He was just there to complicate things. I do believe that if Amy spent more time with him, she would've fallen in love with him in my head. I gave him a happy ending though, so don't complain.

Shadow _did_ win her heart, but there is still some suggestion that Sonic stood a chance. Amy loves them both –she left the choice over to fate and whatever would've happened anyway.

**What's the deal with Mustafa?**

**A: **Ah, I love him. I would've given him more appearances, but in the end felt it was unneeded. Again, he was a supporting character for the supporting characters. He represents the incredible foreign competition of sport. I mean, people from other countries compete just on a different level sometimes.

**Where were Knuckles, Blaze and Tails throughout everything?**

**A**: Oh, here and there. They didn't need to be everywhere. Supporting characters of the supporting characters…

**Why One Step at a Time, by Jordin Sparks? Songfic? **_**Really?**_

**A: ** Four years later and it's still one of my favorite songs. I get people are a little weary of sonfics, especially when they turn out so …clichéd, I guess. This song has always inspired me. To me, the song is so …pink, which in turn reminds me of Amy. I'm done with songfics though – I did one and that's good enough.

**Your favorite chapter you wrote for OSAAT?**

**A: **Uhm… I would say chapter 22 where Amy has to get Cream a bagel – that one took a long time to write, but was very enjoyable to reread afterwards. I giggled at myself.

**How is this story not so long?**

**A:** I know it's not – but then again, I hate fics that are so unnecessarily drawn out until you just skip certain chapters just to see what happens in the end. I can't be the only one who does that. I've never read a fanfiction that took me longer than two days to read – if mine took longer, I apologize.

**So… no sequel?**

**A: **No. As I explained in the previous chapter, I've outgrown Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction. There's nothing more for me to learn from it and I can't exploit it any more than I already have. Honestly, what the hell would the sequel be about?

**What are your plans for the future?**

**A:** I'm currently working on my AU Naruto fic, _Up Until Now_ which is a Sasuke/Sakura/Itachi story. I started writing it two years ago and it has advanced splendidly. My specialty lies in one-shots – I have written one in a while though. I've grown fond of writing chapters and character development.

_**ZEE: Well, I'm done. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We've come a long way. Thank you for your support!**_


End file.
